The Interview: Fairfax & Favor co-founder Marcus Fairfax Fountaine on building a pre-eminent force in countrywear

Marcus Fairfax Founfaine and Felix Favor Parker have been best friends since childhood. They had always dreamed of setting up a business together and, in 2013, decided to set up a country wear business, Fairfax & Favor, using their middle names (their surnames having already been taken by a well-known pen company).

The pair spotted an opportunity for establishing a high-quality footwear brand that could withstand the rigours of rural life but still look stylish. Their industry experience told them, that if they wanted to make the best shoes and boots, they needed to head to Spain to have them manufactured. They took the footwear to country fairs and found an enthusiastic audience.

The expansion into apparel and other lifestyle products was always in the plan and the company is now perhaps the best-known country lifestyle brand in the UK with a DTC website, nine standalone retail stores, numerous wholesale partners and a growing international following. Ambassadors in the UK include Zara Tindall, leading equestrian, Olympian and daughter of Princess Anne,

Fairfax & Favor recently appointed Barbara Horspool, one of the most respected design and product experts on the high street. Horspool will be bringing her considerable experience gained at businesses including The White Company, New Look, Jigsaw and Marks & Spencer, to the role of chief creative officer. Her role will focused on further building out the collection to enable Fairfax & Favour fans to be outfitted head to toe.

Fairfax Fountaine talks to TheIndustry.fashion about the brand's roots, its commitment to quality, the importance of meeting customers face to face and its ambitions for the future

Marcus Fairfax Fountaine and Felix Favor Parker

Can we go back to the beginning of the brand, please? You started out selling shoes, but what was it that sparked the idea to launch your own brand in the first place?

Felix and I have been best friends since we were fifteen. When we decided to build something together, we landed on Fairfax & Favor, using our middle names because, funnily enough, our surnames were already claimed by a pen company! My mother always told me that girls will judge you by your shoes and that you must always put your best foot forward. I used to dread going back to school, but the silver lining was always the trip to buy new shoes. I found that experience incredibly special. I’ve always believed that selecting footwear should remain an immersive experience; I’ve always had this love for footwear.

How did you find your supplier and did they support you in the design process; footwear design and manufacturing is very specialist?

Felix and I had both worked in the industry before launching, so we knew that if you want the best leather footwear in the world, you go to Alicante, in Spain. When starting the brand, we flew out there and found a factory that believed in our vision and helped with our first designs.

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I understand you began selling at country fairs, what was that like, did the brand get a good response?

Felix and I are both from the country, and we realised that when you went to country fairs, people were either wearing wellies or shoes that were impractical for the muddy weather. There was no practical, fit-for-purpose, timelessly elegant footwear, so you essentially had to choose between one or the other. We saw a real gap in the market for a boot that was comfortable enough to stand in all day and could take a bit of mud and water, but still look great.

How long did you stay on that circuit and what did you learn from it? (Or are you still doing it?)

We’re still doing it! In fact, we’re currently in our second year of doing it in the US. I still believe in going to the events myself to speak directly to the customers and getting their feedback - it’s crucial. For instance, the Petite Regina only exists because people told me in person at the stands that the standard boot was too long for them. Even our interchangeable tassels came directly from those show conversations.

How did you go about expanding the brand into accessories and apparel? How did you go about developing the range and prioritising what to do next?

The goal has always been to curate a complete lifestyle. We took our core principles fit for purpose design, timeless style, and heritage craftsmanship - then applied them to new categories. If we could make the best boots in, why not the best handbag or coat to go with them? It wasn't about chasing trends, it was about answering the customer's question: ‘What else can I wear with my Reginas?’

The footwear came from Spain and craftsmanship is at the heart of the entire collection, where, typically, are you sourcing fabrics and manufacturing your products

Quality is a non-negotiable, so we keep our production footprint predominantly in Europe. About 90% of our manufacturing happens across the UK, Spain, Portugal, and Turkey. When it comes to leather, Italy remains the best, so that’s where we source the majority for our boots and bags.

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At what stage did you establish your own website? And when did you venture into wholesale and retail?

We launched our website about six months into the business, we knew early on that this direct-to-consumer channel would be vital. Wholesale followed about two or three years later as the brand gained traction and physical retail stores about eight years into the journey.

Can you tell me about the customer base? How have you gone about finding the engaging with your customers? You have some great ambassadors for instance…

Our community is the heart of the brand. We have a very active Facebook community where customers come asking for advice from other customer/followers when making a purchase. Regarding ambassadors, we only work with people who authentically live the lifestyle. Whether it’s Zara Tindall or Lydia Millen, these are individuals who would all genuinely wear the brand. That authenticity resonates far more with our customer.

Your proposition is so clear in terms of the lifestyle, but is there a particular age group or demographic group you resonate with, in particular? It all looks very timeless to me.

Fairfax & Favor as a brand is truly ageless. At the country shows, you’ll see three generations of the same family walk onto the stand and every one of them leaves with a blue box. We don’t design for one generation we design for a lifestyle. For those who appreciate heritage craftsmanship and a timeless British aesthetic, our pieces are designed to be an enduring part of their wardrobe.

What about your international customer base. Are there markets outside of the UK that are particularly strong for you?

The US is particularly strong for us right now, Felix is out there on the show circuit as we speak! We have about 20 events lined up across the US this year. It’s mirroring what we built here, taking that heritage aesthetic directly to the customer in environments where they live and breathe the lifestyle.

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You have recently recruited Barbara Horspool, who is incredibly well known to our readers. What was the motivation for that appointment and what are you hoping to achieve with someone like her leading creative direction?

It is a real honour to have Barbara join Fairfax & Favor. The idea is for her to build out the rest of our silhouettes, using her amazing connections to help us build out the rest of the outfit. It is an absolute pleasure working with Barbara, and she’s a fantastic person to have on board.

How do you see the brand developing moving forward? It looks like you have big ambitions!

We definitely do. Moving forward, you can expect to see more retail opportunities opening up, continued expansion into the US and further product development. We are looking at all three of those areas expanding simultaneously as we continue to grow the brand.