A step in a new direction: Introducing Primury, Avery Dennison’s first footwear halo partnership.

An interview with
Ben Read and Solene Roure,
Primury

For years, Avery Dennison has partnered with emerging brands in fashion from around the world. This year, we are pleased to announce our first footwear partnership with Primury, a London based luxury-hybrid brand, with stockists in world-renowned retailers such as Dover Street Market, Penelope, Galerie La Fayette Beijing and SSENSE online.

The collection will mean a step in a different direction for the brand, with some exciting new avenues and developments, due to be released in Summer 2018. We chose the NE and NW Materials shows in Wilmington and Portland this month, as a platform to showcase an exclusive preview of the collection to the biggest brands in footwear.

In anticipation of the launch we also interviewed Ben Read and Solene Roure, part of the Primury collective, to gain some insight into their initial thoughts during the design process with our Creative Team on our website.

What are the guiding principles that define the Primury brand?

We are motivated by a desire to offer high quality unique, yet effortless product. We are passionate about sneakers, and wanting to offer a product with consciousness. We are a unisex brand, because we believe in equality and inclusivity.

 

We are a unisex brand, because we believe in equality and inclusivity.

What sets Primury apart from other footwear brands?

Our designs. We work hard to keep our shoes looking unique, but still desirable. It’s a tough balance, but it allowed us to create such styles as the Curio, which is a unique slip on style in a saturated market! We are very proud of it.

All the members of our collective (Solene Roure, Ben Read, Paul-Anthony Smith, Sam Robinson) have a lot of experience in complementary fields.
We aim to combine all that talent to come up with fresh ideas, and bring them to fruition.

 

What is the Primury approach to starting a new collection? What inspires you?

As a business we have to sell shoes, so we are definitely aware of the market and the trends.

However, in order to stand out from the crowd, we look back at Primury values, like DIY and nostalgia. Our process is quite instinctive, and we try to be as original and honest as possible. We build models by hand with paper and cardboard, we sketch, we play around with stuff like play-doh and tape. We want to capture the naive creativity that people have growing up, and understand that feeling again.

 

We want to capture the naive creativity that people have growing up, and understand that feeling again.

How does sustainability impact your design process?

Sustainability is simply fundamental, although young brands like ours can lack the freedom to develop or access eco-conscious materials, because the minimums are too high. Thankfully big brands are finally driving the demand for sustainability so progress is being made. And being small allows to adapt quickly if solutions come our way.

 

What do you think working with Avery Dennison RBIS can do to elevate and evolve your brand?

It’s been so amazing to see our ideas come to life, thanks to the RBIS team. They gave us the tools and support to develop our quirky ideas and push them further. They kept us on track, and even delivered some of our developments early. The results so far have been beyond our expectations and it’s been a pleasure throughout.

 

Also they saved us a lot of time, by supporting our developments, so we could focus on our brand vision and take Primury to the next level.

What footwear solutions are you most excited to explore with us?

Materials! Smart materials, innovative leather alternatives, and anything sustainable.

 

Avery Dennison RBIS: Experts in Footwear

Avery Dennison RBIS has it’s foot in the game, with a vast array of branding and constructive elements available in the footwear industry, particularly for the sports and lifestyle segments. Through a mixture of creative and collaborative executions, there are many a great story to tell about what this means for the industry and how seamless the experience can be for the consumer.

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