Accessories - Attire Accessories magazine

First Choice
Exciting brand Irregular Choice is well known for its quirky
designs and character, a calling card that has helped the
company reach its 10 th anniversary. Creator and designer
Dan Sullivan tells us about the foundations of the brand...
Originality is hard to fi nd as all too often
designers, brands and retailers seem to fall
into a trap of safe, commercial products
that will appeal to the broadest selection
of consumers possible. Th ankfully, there
is still a hoard of innovative young minds
in the fashion industry keen to challenge
the status quo, with a role model present
in the form of Dan Sullivan, creator and
designer of footwear and accessories brand
Irregular Choice.
‘Irregular’ really is the ideal word to
describe the brand, as even though Dan
could have simply followed in the footsteps
of his parents, who owned a store on the
King’s Road in the 1970s, he chose to strike
out on his own having been inspired by a
trip to see their shoe factory in Asia. “Th e
culture, architecture, foods – they were a big
infl uence for my fi rst collection and that’s
where I got the idea for the split toe shoe
which is still incorporated into my designs,” says Dan.
Th is early infl uence led Dan to spot a gap in the market for fun, imaginative
footwear and the Irregular Choice brand was launched in Brighton in 1999 to
introduce unique yet aff ordable designs into the market. Although this sounds
like a winning formula, the launch of the brand was not without its challenges,
as retailers had to show faith in the conspicuous designs, as Dan explains: “At
the time, footwear was very safe unless you were happy to pay hundreds of
pounds for something by a high-end designer. A lot of retailers were excited
since they’d never seen anything like it and my factory was able to produce
small orders so they could test out the product.”
Luckily, retailers’ confi dence in Irregular Choice grew once they saw how
successful the designs were in store, piquing consumers’ interest with colourful
Profile
and humorous creations. Since its inception the
brand’s designs have changed constantly, cleverly
recognising its target consumer’s need for fresh
product whilst maintaining the Irregular Choice
look. What started as a women’s
footwear brand now also takes
in designs for men
and babies, along
with girl’s clothing
and bags, and a new
line of sneakers with fl ashing lights in the soles called I.C.E.D - which stands
for Irregular Choice’s Ethereal Dream. Th is sense of ambition has driven the
brand to experience success in the US, where an Irregular Choice store opened
in New York in 2007. A fl agship store in Carnaby Street, London, followed
soon after and embodies the heart of the brand.
Future plans include more shops around the world, with a store in the
Irregular Choice home town of Brighton a particular priority. To celebrate a
decade of Irregular Choice, key styles from the brand are being re-released and
Dan has embarked upon a project to inspire a new generation of designers.
“I wanted to give something back to the fans and started a project with
Cordwainers at London College of Fashion. Th e students had to design a
shoe with Irregular Choice DNA and the winner will see their design being
produced in China and sold through the fl agship store on Carnaby Street later
this year,” he says. A
Further information
To fi nd out more telephone +44 (0)1273 722 520 or visit the website
www.irregularchoice.com
ATTIRE 49