The Roark trip to the Aleutians was part surf mission, part pilgrimage. Following the trail of Bob Kemp, a man who hiked and photographed his way through the islands, pioneering the inhospitable coastline.
Arc of Aleutia directors Ben Weiland and Chris Burkard had visited the islands before, but experience doesn’t guarantee success. But success they got, discovering a wild slab that started and ended with rock shelfs popping up to say hello.
The product that’s along for the ride with this campaign is pretty good. Nothing groundbreaking but lots of nice stuff. Heads up tho, if you’re in Australia shopping or wanting to explore more – good luck. The AU web-site is hard work and is the main reason there’s no product on show. I have no idea what’s what from what collection, just that there is lots of nice product I want…
Outside of that rant about their AU site, my thought on Roark is that I love the brand. I love, probably more so today, the travel aspect they slice into their narrative and apply it through garment production (and I think – hope – supporting local areas they visit). The printed editions they drop after each trip is full of photography, stories and interviews – good, solid content. And the apparel ranges they are creating are, to me, a nice mix between beach lifestyle, fashion and functionality.
