Industry veteran Robert Nand, founder of Creative Recreation, has once again been bitten by the footwear bug. This time, he’s taking things up a notch with the launch of Grand Voyage, a direct-to-consumer men’s collection aimed at the modern gentleman.
“It’s for the 25 -t0-40-year-old entrepreneur,” said Nand, who includes himself in the target demographic. “I’m building off my lifestyle of what I like to wear. I can wear these [shoes] to work and then out for drinks or to an event.”
The collection is made in Italy and includes high-top sneakers, Beatles-inspired ankle boots, oxfords and slip-ons. And Nand noted that having the right looks was just part of the equation. Equally important was offering a quality product at accessible prices — the line retails for $195 to $295. Nard said he can keep costs down by selling direct to consumers on TheGrandVoyage.com.
Spending time in Italian factories got Nand’s creative juices flowing. “Italy is a big part of [the story],” he said of the old-world craftsmanship available. “The people working in the shoe factories there love what they do. The atmosphere of shoemaking is inspiring.”
In addition to shoes, Nand will be adding a collection of accessories for fall ’16 that includes duffle bags and laptop and toiletry cases.
