Pomé footwear couldn’t have had better timing.
Boots have infiltrated menswear, from the runways to the streets, in both rugged and polished designs.
P0mé has successfully married the outdoors with the gritty city streets in their first batch of footwear — fresh, updated duck boots.
I recently caught up with the creative genius behind the brand, Danny Peguro, where he filled me in on his plans to expand the line, shared a sneak peek at fall 2010 looks and much more — check it out:
DrJays.com: How did you get your start in the footwear business?
Danny: “My love for footwear has been with me since I was a kid. Throw in the ability to design, along with a little business savvy, and you got yourself a footwear business!
“Pomé started with me shopping at an army navy store, where I came across an old pair of brown duck boots. I thought, if they came in really cool color combos and were made to look sleeker, they would be a smash amongst the fly inclined.
“The epiphany, along with the gumption to recognize and act on the idea is what sets a designer apart from a visionary. To identify the void in the market is key in this business. I was lucky because the product was in huge demand, but essentially, I love designing without the restraints of current trends or market climate.”
DrJays.com: Can you describe a typical day in the life of Pome’s creative director?
Danny: “Wow…great question. Everyday is brand new. How can you get bored or become passive if everyday is a new creation, dilemma, achievement?
“Basically, it starts with a cranky me waking up at 6:30am. I purposely park my car on the street cleaning side as extra motivation to wake up so early (laughs).
“Once I’m up, I grab my cafe con leche from the corner bodega, answer emails from the factories until about 10:00am, then I begin sketching designs.
“By 12:00pm, I’m in the zone. I love being in the zone design-wise — it’s like watching Michael Jordan play the Knicks…like his jump shot every pen stroke is money. All the while I’ll take the occasional phone call from buyers requesting an account, and quickly refer them to my sales team. I try to avoid taking those calls, because if I become too involved in sales it will taint my ability to design freely.
“By 6:00pm, I’m probably meeting with celebrity stylists in attempts to increase my marketing appeal. I know most companies have separate departments for the many things I do, but I love being hands on and that love reciprocates with every individual I work with. ‘OMG, so you’re the owner?’. Hearing that never gets old.”
DrJays.com: You had impeccable timing with these duck boots, considering how hot the outdoorsy look is right now. Where did you draw your inspiration from?
Danny: “For about 10 years, boots as a fashion piece seemed to disappear. Never in my eyes. There’s always a place for tough rugged footwear. It’s just a classic look. After all, today’s cities are as grimy as any swamp or creek. Following the Timbs and Polo boots from the 90s, Pome boots have a sleeker look. We’re more fashion conscious, so we play with more color and try new silhouettes.”
DrJays.com: What’s behind the name, ‘Pome’?
Danny: Well keeping up with my theme of the great outdoors, I decided to call my brand Pome — an acronym for ‘product of my environment.’
“I am a supporter of the green movement, so I’m all for any opportunity I have to encourage or preserve nature’s blessings. We are using recycled rubber and our product is made in environmentally friendly facilities.”
DrJays.com: What can we expect from your summer 2010 collection?
Danny: “The high top duck boot was a huge hit, so naturally, a low top for the summer is on its way. We plan on using lighter weight rubber and sneaker sole to make them more wearable in the heat.”
DrJays.com: Will you be venturing outside of duck boots into any other footwear designs?
Danny: “Yes, we plan on introducing a high top boat shoe and two sneaker styles. Not to disappoint the supporters of my duck boot, but we also plan on twisting the original design. We’re going to rearrange the colors, and introduce accompanying outerwear again. I’m a stickler to function and quality, so our outerwear will be weather tested and proved. I want to be in the same genre as reputable brands like The Northface, Canada Goose and Marmot.”
DrJays.com: Any collaborations in the works?
Danny: “I’m far from a conformist, and I’ve noticed the cool thing to do these days is collaborations with other brands who are ultimately your competition. I’d rather form an alliance with my supporters — the retailers. The mom and pop boutiques who were rocking with me when I was personally delivering boots out of the back of my car. Nostylgia NYC, Probus NYC and Wish ATL are just a few of them.”
DrJays.com: If you could pick one of your favorite celebrities to rep for Pome, who would it be?
Danny: It might sound strange, but I would say Matthew McConaughey. Mainly because he’s a dope actor — very versatile and likable. He’s fashion conscious and takes risks. Also, he is an outdoorsy guy. The man will swing upside down from a vine in the rain forest for a good workout. How dope would it be if he was rocking Pome ducks while being caught on camera by TMZ?
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