A wardrobe with
somewhere to go.
Terrascout was a menswear brand for a life that moves between work, travel and time outside. I wanted a wardrobe that felt considered in the office and at ease in the field, with attention to proportion, fabric and detail.
I founded and self-funded the company, directing the collection across apparel, footwear and bags. The work ran from sourcing fabrics from Japanese mills and producing apparel in Los Angeles to the identity, campaign and place where the collection was sold.
I was responsible for what we made, how it was made and the inventory I committed to fund.
Apparel design
Designed to be worn together.
I began with complete looks: wool shirtjackets, anoraks and utility pants considered alongside footwear and bags. Olive, charcoal, navy and warm neutrals connected the range, with plaid, texture and material blocking giving individual pieces their character.
Development carried those choices into fit. The anorak’s half-zip front, side access and panel construction were worked around movement. The utility pant brought the same attention to proportion and storage for travel and daily wear.
Japanese fabrics. Los Angeles production.
Much of the apparel fabric was sourced from Japanese mills, including cotton ripstop and wool for shirtjackets. I selected every fabric, lining and piece of hardware, chose the Los Angeles factory and led the fit sessions through production.
Sourcing, fit and construction were part of the same design responsibility. The collection had to hold together in the clothes themselves, as well as in the sketches.
Footwear design
Work-shoe roots. Everyday purpose.
The footwear began with the straightforward construction of a work shoe. I developed that starting point through slip-ons and ankle boots, using leather, elastic entry and a light wedge sole for the more structured boot.
Leather and suede, dark and natural colors, and two outsole directions gave the range different expressions. Each version was considered with the clothing around it, keeping the footwear part of the wardrobe rather than a separate collection.
Everyday carry
Keep it within reach.
The backpack and duffel carried the collection’s material contrasts into bags. Black pebbled surfaces, olive technical panels and exposed hardware connected them to the clothing through color, texture and detail.
Access shaped the duffel. Exterior zip pockets made organization part of its appearance, while durable handles and a simple cylindrical body kept the overall form straightforward. Its useful parts gave the bag its character.
Brand strategy & identity
A point of view before a mark.
The brand began with the person wearing the clothes and the life around them. References for places, materials and useful objects established a character that could move between work, travel and time outside. That direction informed the collection, the identity and how both were presented.
I developed the name and geometric mark in my notebook, refining them for use on a clothing label or across the side of a shop. The geometry extended into patterns, product graphics and the retail environment. Labels and hang tags carried the product’s name, materials, color and story.
Brand in the field
The life around the clothes.
The campaign placed the collection in the travel and time outside that had inspired it. Driving, gathering beside a river and moving across rocky ground gave the clothes a setting beyond the studio.
On a person, the relationship between the pieces became visible: the length of a jacket, the cut of a pant, the texture of a layer and the footwear beneath it. The setting supplied the atmosphere; the clothes remained the subject.
Retail & merchandising
The collection, in person.
The mobile shop brought apparel, footwear and bags into one place. The collection could be seen together, with its colors, materials and proportions carried into the displays around it.
I designed the trailer from the exterior and floor plan through to the interior and merchandising. It was a working prototype of the complete brand experience: a place to test, feel and refine the vision, and a way for potential investors to experience it in person.
The business
I launched Terrascout in 2020 as a self-funded, profitable business. Alongside the design, I was responsible for fabric orders, manufacturing, inventory and selling.
Growth required more investment in stock. I turned down outside funding and chose not to keep financing that growth myself.
Founder, apparel, footwear and brand direction / Rob Williams.