Recently, I caught up with Collin Thompson, a partner of Hong Kong’s international footwear brand; CIPHER, and I received insight into how the brand views footwear, and how the company will improve. If you don’t already know, CIPHER footwear is a brand based out of Hong Kong and has been around and growing for about three years now. Their buzz has grown all around Europe and now lately, in the United States.

If you haven’t seen any products from CIPHER check out their three models on CIPHER’s website; the Libertine, Seditionary, and the Subterranean. The products are fresh and new, with many clever straps and materials (especially on the Subterranean’s). Now, I present you with and interview with CIHPER’s Collin Thompson.

Mike B: For 2010, what is your approach on footwear; how are you going to keep the products fresh and new?

Collin: Our approach to footwear will stay the same, create unique designer driven products for lifestyle connoisseurs. We try to give our products a personality that the wearer identifies with, usually connecting our products to pop-culture, music, film, literature, that reflects the ethos of the wearer. We’re not exactly re-inventing the wheel with footwear, but trying to add a fresh take on the personality of the wearer and his life in this modern global time.

We’re focusing on great materials, comfort, and standout styles that fit in with the fluid life of the wearer. This year we’ve focused on creating footwear, and a range that, fits with every aspect of our customer’s life. By focusing on this, we hope to create customers that value the service of us uncluttered their lives, while adding dimension to their wardrobe, and allowing more range to the customer in expressing their dynamic lives.

Mike B: As of right now, what is your inspiration to create new footwear?

Collin: We’re all about lifestyle and perspective, we believe that people want products that eschew their personal beliefs, keep them current, and provide quality and comfort. Our perspective on creating new products stems from: how one projects themselves to the world, the conversations they have with others, and the feeling they have when they wear our products.

Our inspiration for new products always stems around these tenets, but mostly we want to engage our customers imagination and provide them with the feeling of being a part of something bigger then just footwear. For us it’s all about how you feel when you have CIPHER products, which is the most inspirational part of creating for our wearers. How can we engage their imaginations? be proud of what they own? and have something that sets them apart from the glut of footwear products that are out right now? while still staying culturally relevant and engaging.

Mike B: What do you foresee as the biggest difference in American fashion as opposed to European and Asian fashion?

Collin: To be candid, I don’t see much difference, on a very basic level–culturally yes, but for the most part, I think our customers worldwide, which are mainly based in Tokyo, Milan, London, Paris, Singapore, and Hong Kong–they all want the same thing. Too feel confident, relevant, cutting edge, and in good taste for whatever occasion they’re at. Europeans and Asians, tend to be a little more adventurous and like more “avant garde” styling, but I find that Americans love styles that make them stand-out for their uniqueness and individuality.

CIPHER tends to translate very well across geographies for different reasons, culturally, but at it’s core–our customers globally love products that people talk about and wonder: where did you get those? Those are really interesting–which is where our narrative and story behind each product comes into play.

Mike B: How long has the company been operating, and how have you progressed from your first collection as opposed to your newest collection?

Collin: We’ve been around and for a few years on a small and grassroots level, but in the last 2 years we’ve had huge growth worldwide, especially in Tokyo, and Paris. Our first shoes were really character driven and bought by enthusiasts who craved something radically different. Now our styles have become more refined and widely distributed to people who know about us, and stay up on underground brands.

The main difference with us is, as we grow, we continuously improve our products, and now I feel we’re on par with any European high fashion brand or major footwear label, simply because of our ability to control the production process. Because I started in the factory from a hands on perspective, we have some of the best processes, and suppliers in the world, and we construct shoes component by component, trying to make each piece world-class. With our growth, we’ve developed our own factory to make shoes in house; this allows us to construct products to exacting standards, so that the items that our customers get are pretty much handmade at a considerable value in comparison to brands who do similar processes. Our perspective has stayed consistent in terms of our view on giving to our customers, we want to inspire and ignite their imaginations and make them feel good about the products that they’ve purchased from us.

Mike B: Do you prefer high, mid, or low tops?

Collin: I love to design all shoes, it doesn’t matter, but design-wise; high-tops provide a larger platform to be creative. Although, each shoe no matter if it’s high, low, or mid–we always find a way to get excited about them…Each shoe has a time and a place–we usually wear high’s when we want to floss and when we’re at an event of a club, but when we got to go out to some really elegant events–usually with girls–we wear some classy low-tops, it all depends on the occasion and the effect we’re looking for.

Mike B: Next to your company, who do you believe can really make a come up in footwear in 2010?

Collin: I’m a huge fan of design, and high-fashion. I would love to see Hedi Slimane come back and bring out some sneakers again, I hope Alexander Wang does sneakers, and I would love to see Christophe Decairne from Balmain do sneakers. Kris Van Assche should get some love too for his creative designs.

Mike B: How do you differ from the other international/urban footwear companies?

Collin: We’re really the first international urban luxury brand, which has been a blessing and a curse, sometimes we sit next to Commes des Garcon, Pierre Hardy, or Lanvin, and sometimes we’re next to Rocawear. I think we’re the first company with a literally international perspective. Based in Asia, but with a specifically European and North American aesthetic, operating in a typically urban segment of the market.

We have a real mix of customers which typically define us, we’re an urban brand at it’s core, with a high-fashion spirit, this is something very different as we’ve really created a category un-to-ourselves, we’re not exactly Dior Homme, but we’re not exactly your typical urban brand, we generally ride the crest of our generational perspective–which is what makes us unique. Lanvin will never be urban, and Rocawear will never be Dior (Homme), whereas with CIPHER we try to bridge the gap between these two cultures.

Mike B: Lastly, for everybody out there who hasn’t heard of Cipher; what do they need to know about the company?

Collin: Just that CIPHER is an international urban luxury brand for people of creative and metropolitan perspectives and that you can find out more about us at our website www.cipherism.com and join our Facebook.

I just want to thank Collin and everyone else at CIPHER for the interview, and make sure you check out CIPHER’s website.

-Mike Bagnato