Building an Empire

In 2002, Franco Shade emerged as yet another skate brand in an already saturated market. At the time of their conception there were already so many “clothing companies” releasing nothing but t-shirts with logos that would easily get you a serious beating if you wore them in public. You could be excused for thinking that the brand would not be around for very long. However, Joe Navran used his cunning business savvy that made him one of the most respected videographers in the rollerblading industry to mould the label into one of the fastest rising streetwear companies in Southern California… with a little help from his friends of course.

At the time of Franco Shade’s birth, Joe Navran was one of the most sought after filmmakers in the rollerblading industry, producing such groundbreaking titles as Amateur, What do you Believe in? and the F.O.R. series. So why did he decide to give it all up and focus on a clothing label? The mastermind declared: “I was getting very bored with videos, and at the time felt like most of the people doing clothing in the industry were doing a poor job.” Joe started , Arlo Eisenberg. However, as time passed, it became apparent to Joe that Aaron’s heart was not really in the brand, so they agreed it was time to part ways. “Aaron Feinberg helped a little with the funding, I wouldn’t say it was ever more than three or four thousand dollars. He was bought out of the brand very shortly after that, as he didn’t want to stay on as an owner at that time.”
   
Shortly after Aaron’s departure, Joe Navran decided to team up with rollerblading legend Arlo Eisenberg to help assist with the brand’s artistic direction. The pair worked together previously to create the monumental concept film What Do You Believe In? Arlo was already a prominent figure within the industry, designing iconic graphics for many companies, including his own brand Senate. Joe is very blunt concerning their working relationship. “I like Arlo, but I don’t want to see him as much as I do, but he is my favorite living artist. I knew from the beginning that doing a brand using his art would work, and to this point it has. Obviously we have other artists on board now, but the direction and feel has always been directed by him.”

Throughout the years there have been many rumors concerning who is actually in control of the brand and which members of the industry have had input with its direction, but Joe is quick to dispel any misconceptions people may have about the key members of the company. “Myself and Arlo are the only owners of the brand. Matt Andrews has helped on occasion with some ideas and concepts, but has yet to really put them into action because he is busy working on his abs.”

Rollerblade historians out there may remember the label was originally going to be called Shade but Joe Navran inserted Franco in reference to Franky Morales. At the time Franky could not be a member of the team due to his obligations to Senate at the time. Now that Senate no longer exists and Franky is free to represent the company which was inspired by his name, you can’t help but wonder why he is not on the team.

“Franky is a good friend, but we have never revisited that issue. Franky could walk into the warehouse and get whatever he wants on any given day. We only really had one rider that we actually sponsored this whole time which was Rachard. Just recently we wanted to try and do something a little exciting and motivate people so we had the Nobody Cares contest, we wanted to bring in some new blood into the brand rather than just recycle the same stuff we had always done. “

In 2008, Franco Shade returned to its rollerblading roots and hosted the Nobody Cares competition which offered skaters across the world to appear in the first team Shade video. When asked what motivated this and if Arlo would have input like their previous venture, Joe had this to say: “We were just trying to do something exciting, we wanted to stir things up and get people hyped up on who could be the ‘next’ guy in the scene. There were so many good entries, and it was so hard but in the end we couldn’t be more excited about the three guys. We wanted to have it released this fall, but Clement blew out his knee so it’s probably going to have to wait until next spring sadly. Arlo has an input in most things I do, I couldn’t see him not having one on the video itself.”

The company has only been trading for six years but has already branched into mainstream fashion and can now be found in quality clothing boutiques throughout the world. When asked what he thinks has helped the label branch out from simply being another rollerblading company, Joe asserts: “The brand has obviously changed a lot, but that wouldn’t be saying anything shocking. The important thing is that the brand has its own identity, and no longer can be confused as anything other than completely original. People are going to see a lot more push with our accessories, from bags to backpacks and even I phone cases.”

Franco Shade is now internationally distributed through various urban outlets, check their website (www.francoshade.com) for your nearest stockist.

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