Having a drink in the wild is a little more civilized with Fieldbar, a Cape Town-born cooler brand that’s been upping its fashion profile and expanding in the U.S.
Founded by Lee Hartman and Corban Warrington, the brand recently landed an exclusive collaboration with Saint Laurent Rive Droite and has been building its distribution in America, where its main line is available through Williams Sonoma, Anthropologie and other retailers.
“Our product looks amazing online, but even better in real life,” Hartman, the brand’s managing director, told WWD. “When we launched in South Africa, we aligned with a premium kitchen and homeware retailer with nationwide distribution and it worked incredibly well to get our products in front of customers, so they could touch and feel before buying. As we are relatively new in the U.S., we see Williams-Sonoma and Anthropologie as the American counterparts to our local retail partner — trusted and established, with both online and brick-and-mortar presence, catering to people who value both style and quality.”
The eating outdoor world has been moving upscale in recent years. “Coolers usually aren’t considered luxury products because most are designed purely for utility,” Hartman said. “A functional product can become a luxury item when you have uncompromisingly high standards in design, material selection, engineering and craft.
“We come from the land of the safari, which makes us experts in going outside with elegance, style and grace,” he said.
Fieldbar, which gets its name from the wooden “field bars” of the Victorian era, produces its coolers in Cape Town and is finding a ready customer base in the U.S.
“Our American customers have quickly connected with our products,” Hartman said. “The existing strong cooler box culture in the U.S. means we haven’t had to explain the category and brands like Ralph Lauren and Banana Republic have done the groundwork in positioning the safari as a luxury experience.”
That positioning is underscored by the Saint Laurent collaboration, which features the Cassandre signature and an individually numbered Saint Laurent plaque. Those coolers will be sold through Saint Laurent stores and on the brand’s website for 980 euros or $1,250.
