Industry veteran’s ‘slower’ brand opens Salt Lake City store
Sports brand Foreign Rider has opened a new flagship store in Salt Lake City. The new store showcases the brand’s collections, in which each piece, it claims, prioritises “thoughtful design, responsible sourcing and long-term durability”.
The company says that everything it makes is “built to last, using premium materials, thoughtful patterns, and ethically responsible manufacturing”, with the aim of allowing more people “to experience truly well-made products without compromise”.
Current collections include Solace, comprising clothes designed for comfort using a proprietary blend of cotton, modal and stretch fibres.
Odyssey is more performance-focused, while its Merino collection puts the emphasis on breathability and durability. The fibres through which it achieves this are constructed using TMC’s Nuyarn spinning technology, which involves wrapping wool fibres round a performance filament. Foreign Rider also has a Heritage collection, comprising “timeless staples” for work and casual settings.
Based in Toronto, Foreign Rider first launched in 2009, set up by technical apparel pioneer Ralph Dunning.
Mr Dunning was working on cycling apparel when, at the start of the century, he decided to venture into golf gear. He set up Dunning Golf in his basement in 2001, blending technical fabrics into classic golfwear designs. He claims the brand was the first to focus on form and function.
He sold Dunning Golf to New York-based group Tharanco in 2011, with whom he continued to work until 2020. Focusing now on the recently relaunched Foreign Rider, his aim is to build “something slower, sharper and more meaningful” for the athletic community.
“We are not chasing trends or trying to be louder than the next company,” he has said. “We are here to make better product, communicate stories about real people and ask the right questions.”
The Salt Lake City store is Foreign Rider’s third, following openings in Toronto and Denver.
