fifl˛ fi˝ - the peoples movement · willie nelson, serge gainsbourg, chris isaak, first aid kit,...

426 N. Cedros Ave • Solona Beach, CA 92075 | [email protected] | 858.345.1066

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MOVMT

About The Movement

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The People’s Movement stand for ideas that lead to positive change and helps transform today’s most pressing problems into tomorrow’s solutions.

The MOVMT uses organic, recycled and re-purposed materials wherever possible and we are constantly in search of the better option. Some of the eco-friendly features include organic cotton canvas, water based glues, natural dyes, and nickel free eyelets.

Additionally, our Clean Act Collection takes plastic bags polluting the island of Bali and up-cycles them into reusable totes and fabrics for our shoes. With every pair sold from the Clean Act Collection, we donate $1 to the Plastic Pollution Coalition, a group dedicated to stopping plastic pollution and its toxic impacts on humans, animals and the environment!

It’s not just where you are going, but how you get there that counts. Believe in what you wear and make sure it stands for something. Join the cause and start a MOVMT!


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MOVMT Fall/Winter 2012 Brand VIdeo

MOVMT Spring/Summer 2012 Brand VIdeo

About The Movement

https://vimeo.com/34553373

https://vimeo.com/42581504


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MOVMT

The People

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Kevin Flanagan — CEO

Flanny brings a massive amount of experience from the action sports and youth lifestyle industry on an international scope. He was the VP of Marketing for about a 1000 different surf apparel companies and of course learned exactly what “to do” and what “not to do” from them in regards to starting his own brand.

Mark Wystrach — Co-Founder/Creative Director

Mark was raised a cowboy in Arizona and enjoyed the nomadic life of surfing and performing as a musician around the world before settling in Southern California to pursue a career in the arts and entertainment field. He has appeared and starred in numerous television and film projects while cultivating a following for his indie folk music project, The Young Whiskey, but we’ve never heard of him before.

Chris Swortwood — CFO

Chris played for the elite USC tennis program before going to work for Oakley’s sports marketing. Managing many of the worlds top tennis player and golfers, Chris formed great relationships with the athletes. These relationships and his affinity for numbers have enabled Chris to have leadership role in several successful startups including Kaenon eyewear and Iliac Golf.


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Where are you from and what do you do? I was raised on a cattle ranch on high desert grasslands of the Arizona / Mexico border. I now live on the beach in Malibu. I am the co-founder and creative director of The People’s Movement, a vintage inspired, eco-conscious maker of finely crafted shoes and accessories that stand for the fight against single use plastics. I also have a checkered past and presence as an actor, musician & aspiring writer.

Describe yourself… goofy, wanderlust, chameleon, exuberant, brazen.

I-D MAGAZINE May 2012

In our Summer 2012, The Lights, Camera, Action Issue i-D introduces a cast of characters who embody the magic of MHL. Here, we shine the spotlight on one of the talented team.

MARK WYSTRACH, 32 YEARS YOUNG, ARIZONA

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What will you be listening to this summer? Bent, MegaPuss, Washed Out, The White Buffalo, AWOLNATION, King Clifton, Willie Nelson, Serge Gainsbourg, Chris Isaak, First Aid Kit, The Clash always.

Apart from music, what else will you be listening to this summer? The sound of the wind blowing by at 90 miles an hour on my motorcycle, Jet engines, waves crashing, BBQ’s burning, drinks being drank fast ‘n’ hard and friends laughing… not in any particular order.

If someone were to make a movie of your life, what would the soundtrack be? Cast of Thousands by ELBOW.

If you were a song, what would you be? Wicked Game by Chris Isaak.

I-D MAGAZINE > cont.

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RIVIERA MAGAZINE — The Men’s Issue April 2012

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The Partner in Crime “ A dash of future and a touch of cowboy” is how Mark Wystratch defines his style.

“My earliest fashion memory was getting my first pair of shoes, which were actually boots. They were Justin Roper lace-ups and I went by the moniker of ‘Cowboy John.” Guess the shoe fetish started early.

Today, the former actor/model/surf wanderer is the co-founder of The People’s Movement, the Solana Beach-based sneaker company that could knock TOMS off its perch. After all, co-founder and action sports hero Kevin Flanagan, aka Flanny, is at the helm of this eco line aimed at hipsters, gypsies and saving the earth. The company has partnered with Bombastic Plastix, using old plastic bags found in Bali for its shoe applications and packaging. “As surfers and environmental-ists, we’ve found that’s the largest threat to the health of our planet,” says Wystratch.

The “MOVMT,” as the brand is known, stands for more than just shoes. “I design for the young at heart who are always effortlessly cool because of their spirit. It’s for people that are passionate about timeless design, fashion and the environment.”

The Kickstarter The big question (literally) for People’s Movement co-founder Kevin Flanagan, is: will the company make size 15 shoes? Flanagan laughs: “We’ll definitely be mak-ing bigger sizes,” mostly to outfit a lot of his friends who play in the NBA and NFL.

At 6 feet, 9 inches, Flanagan played bas-ketball at University of Arizona, where he met his wife, Alex, an NFL commentator. The action sports vet and former Reef VP was initially inspired by a worker’s shoe in China, envisioning the new brand, starting with shoes and expanding to hats, belts and more. Products are made with eco-conscious materials and sell everywhere from American Rag and Fred Segal to Sun Diego and Surf Diva. As for his personal style, Flanny says he’s “creatively fitted.” “I roll my sleeves because they’re too short or cuff my high-water pants to make the look appear intentional.”

Locally, he and the in-law are inspired by local brands like Stance Socks, Shaper Studios, Raen Sunglasses, Nixon, Rusty Surfboards, Anders Creative and Vanity Hair Studio. “The Vanity Girls use organic supplies, keep my neck clean and make our shoes look hot,” says Flanny. That’s quite the winning combo.

RIVIERA MAGAZINE > cont.


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CAL APPAREL NEWS February 2012

Kevin Flanagan has done his due diligence at action-sports brand machines as vice president of marketing for Reef, group show director at the Action Sports Retailers Trade Expo and VP of marketing for Globe shoes. For his new venture, The People’s Movement shoes, Flanagan partnered with Mark Wystrach and Chris Swortwood to start a brand that stood for their personal values—products that were made with environmental responsibility and promoted environmental awareness.

“ As a surfer, I am connected to nature. I wanted the sneakers to stand for something, to stand for opening a dialogue about how we can produce and consume more responsibly,” Flanagan said.

“ I am a father. I wanted my company to make a positive impact on people and our world. This is why we partner with like-minded causes that push eco-friendlier materials.”

One of these organizations is Bombastix Plastix, a group Wystrach met in Bali that cleans up plastic pollution from beaches and “up-cycles” them into textiles. The group inspired The People’s Movement’s “Clean Act” collection, which features plastic bags “up-cycled” into different purposes, such as the pattern details on the shoes, reusable shoe-bag packaging and on wallets. The shoes are also made out of organic-cotton canvas, natural dyes, water-based glues and organic-cotton shoelaces.

Flanagan said that explaining the story about the plastics used on the shoe opens the door to talk about single-use plastics in a larger sense.

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“Often, the world’s problems can seem overwhelming, and you feel helpless as just one voice, but by taking the Plastic-Pollution Pledge against plastic, you are joining an ever-growing coalition, making a difference every day by using alternatives to petroleum-based plastics,” Flanagan said.

The sneaker itself is inspired by a Chinese worker-shoe template, which the founders slimmed down in the outsoles. They also tweaked the curves and proportions of the nose to make it more fashion-forward and incorporated the “V” MOVMT logo.

“I’ve spent my career in eyewear and footwear. I believe these two categories define people’s style,” Flanagan said. “You can wear a paper bag, and if you’ve got hip shades and shoes, you are in! The canvas-sneaker market is huge and is saturated by a ‘sea of sameness.’ I saw a huge opportunity to create a company that speaks to a new, open-minded generation. Mark and I loved the ‘era’ look and durability of the Chinese proletariat shoes, and we felt they served as a great touchstone for thinking globally.”

The People’s Movement has been sold to stores such as Convert in Berkeley, Calif.

– Rhea Cortado

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CAL APPAREL NEWS > cont.


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SIMPLISTIC MAN’S HOMEPAGE March 2012

Recently came across these MOVMT shoes at my local American Rag in Newport Beach and just fell in love. Ive been searching for the perfect mix between a hi-top and a desert boot for the longest time, so this was just the bees knees... These eco-friendly California made shoes are light weight and are perfect for Spring and Summer. Above are both made out of organic cotton and go by the name of Flanny. These get 10 golden stars.

CLICK HERE to see blog post.

Press Exposure

http://www.simplisticman.com/2012/03/movmt.html


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KTLA 5 January 2012

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http://www.ktla.com/videogallery/65545568/News/KTLA-Heroes-At-Home-Vickie-Knight#pl-62803191


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Shop-Eat-Surf.com January 2012

I must say I was stunned by how much product was being shown at Agenda by the People’s Movement, a new footwear brand owned by Kevin Flanagan.

The brand is a startup, and I was surprised how much they had accomplished in a short amount of time.

The People’s Movement has 18 styles and colors available for a spring delivery on Feb. 15 and 30 styles and colors for fall, with a June delivery.

It was the brand’s first trade show, and Kevin said he was anxious during the first hour or so, which started slow. But then more retailers began coming by, and their positive reaction to the line got him excited. So excited that he and brother-in-law Mark Wystrach, who handles marketing for the company, had quite the bar bill later that night.

One of the big risks Kevin took financially with the new startup was buying inventory blind - meaning without preorders - for the spring delivery. He was relieved at the show because retailers responded so well.

But now he has a new worry, admittedly a good one to have. The spring delivery is in February and the fall delivery isn’t until June. If the spring inventory sells out, there will be a gap before the brand can deliver more shoes.

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Shop-Eat-Surf.com January 2012

But that was a concern for a different time. At Agenda, the brand had a basket full of orders and a promise from Dave Nash of Sun Diego for a buildout at Sun Diego’s UTC store that resembles the People’s Movement cardboard-constructed booth at Agenda.

The People’s Movement products are eco-friendly, and use plastic bags that wash up on the shores of Bali as a design element. That has gotten the brand interest from stores such as Convert, Randy Brewer’s new environmentally conscious store in Berkeley and Seed Peoples Market at The Camp in Costa Mesa.

“ The shoe world in our industry has certainly changed over the last 3-4 years and it’s brought some new opportunities including The People’s Movement,” Dave Nash of Sun Diego told me.

“ Flanny’s coming into the market with new fresh ideas on product and with the giveback, concerned for and actually helping the earth mentality…and I think they are doing a great job of ‘attacking’ the market through a social media blitzkrieg.”

The company is backed by a group of investors from Connect SDSI, including Jeff Kearl, the Stance CEO and Chairman of Skullcandy.

— Tiffany Montgomery

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ROLLING STONE April 2012

Lead singer of AWOLNATION wears MOVMT T-shirt on main stage at Coachella 2012.

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STYLESIGHT BLOG POST July 2012

While cruising Agenda Trade Show last summer, the Active Team stumbled upon a gem of a brand called The People’s Movement, aka MOVMT. We were totally taken with this line of environmentally-friendly footwear from the moment we entered the up-cycled cardboard booth. Now, we can’t lie…initially we weren’t really interested in talking footwear. It had been a LONG day walking the floor, talking shop and snapping pics. It was really more like…who are these megababes and how come we haven’t seen them before?! But, as the old saying goes, you cant judge a book by its cover, as soon as co-founders Mark Mark Wystrach and Kevin Flanagan started to share their vision of eco/ethical manufacturing and their love of the ocean we were basically head-over-heels in love with the brand. We even (tried) to help them name a new style and came up with a kitschy little phrase for our “Editor’s Choice” tweet, describing the sneakers as “naturally beautiful”. It was a match made in media heaven. – Jeanine Pesce

CLICK HERE to read full blog post.

Press Exposure

http://blog.stylesight.com/active/stylesight-hearts-the-peoples-movement

fifl˛ fi˝ - the peoples movement · willie nelson, serge gainsbourg, chris isaak, first aid kit,...

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