Keeping an eagle eye on fashion
The year 1850 was a good one for Charles Goodyear. But it was better still for Hiram Hutchinson. Goodyear may have been the one to develop a vulcanization process that made latex irreversibly elastic and waterproof. But it was Hiram who secured a deal with Goodyear that would transform malleable rubber into trendy footwear.
For Hiram and the French, life is meant to be enjoyed outdoors. Thus, three years after the deal with Goodyear was sealed, Hiram steadily developed a protective line of shoes, boots, and clothing that was also very fashionable. And in homage to the American bald eagle, Hiram called this patented brand Aigle.
With its logo showing an eagle taking flight with wings spread wide to reveal the letter “A,” Aigle has been known for its dynamism for the past 150 years. And although it has constantly strived to reinvent itself and develop newer and better technologies, Aigle remains committed to “the reintroduction of man into nature.”
Ask anyone who knows Aigle and they’ll tell you that this brand has a way of bringing nature closer to man. Ask 39-year-old Frederic Guiral, who may well be a walking advertisement for Aigle. “When I go to France during the summer, I go to Brittany and I use Aigle,” he declares. Frederic is into skiing and trekking, and every time he heads for the slopes or the hills, he’s definitely geared up, Aigle style.
Even as a child, Frederic confesses, he always loved the brand, as many French do. “It’s almost part of the French culture so anybody in France would know the brand,” he points out. In 2006, Frederic made the best decision of his life and became the regional director of Aigle for Asia.
Today, Aigle continues to enjoy a robust presence in Japan and Hong Kong while it is experiencing constant growth in Taiwan, China, and Korea. And now, Frederic turns his Aigle eyes on the southeast. Fact is, Aigle is looking at Southeast Asia as one collective market, with the Philippines as its launching pad.
In the country, Aigle has teamed up with The Travel Club. Recently, The Travel Club opened a store called R.O.X. (Recreational Outdoor Exchange) at the Bonifacio High Street, featuring three levels of sporting gear. As you might expect, R.O.X. carries a lot of Aigle stuff.
Women have taken to Aigle’s signature rubber boots. Available in many stylish designs and colors, Aigle rubber boots can be classy or funky, but always downright functional. After all, as Frederic stresses, Aigle has always been dedicated to that “F” word. “We go from the design to the product, thinking about design and functionality at the same time. Our products are functional. You are protected.”
To protect its customers, Aigle constantly develops different technologies for all its product lines — boots, shoes, clothing and bags for every man, woman and child, too. Aigle’s product lines also boldly take on the seas, land and mountains, with its extensive array of apparel for casual wear, traveling, mountain climbing, sailing, skiing, riding, hunting and fishing.
So now that you know everything there is to know about Aigle, you’re probably still getting one thing wrong — how you pronounce its name. As Frederic narrates his experience, “In English-speaking countries, they say it as ‘E-H-G-H-E-L,’ but in France, it’s ‘E-G-H.’”
Oui!
