Brand

"Bedroom Brand"

2019

JRD continued to trade throughout 2019, with John fulfilling orders to clients developed in the spare bedroom at his family home. The brand continued to evolve with new ventures of JRD Clothing running alongside the footwear business. John continued to trade locally and began to grow his social platform, engaging with new audiences across the UK who showed great interest in the emerging products.

A growing community..

2020

In 2020 as much of the world stood still, this was an opportunity for the brand to capitalise on an engaged online market. Strong relations were born between the brand and influencers such as Oliva Bowen and traction from audiences across the UK flourished. John hand painted 2 pairs of shoes for Olivia, choosing carefully the design based on her beloved pet dogs and a sentimental tattoo. This relationship supported opening new doors for JRD collaborations with influencers and shortly after John designed a pair of Scorpio inspired shoes for Daisy O'Donell. The JRD Community across Instagram and Tiktok was growing rapidly, and it was becoming clear there was only so much longer this “bedroom brand” could continue trading from its current premises. 

Intoducing the Mocha

2021

2021 was a big year for the brand, the foundations had been laid in 2020 and JRD continued to gain greater attraction from audiences across the world through Instagram and Tiktok. The brand established the major pillar for its identity – the Mocha colour-way, a beautiful selection of hand-painted neutrals and timeless creations on classic silhouettes. As the global audiences grew, orders came in from around the world. The popularity of the Mocha range made it difficult to manage constant demand. This led to the requirement for monthly drops to sell out within minutes of launching. This was a really exciting time for the brand and showed the potential of what it could become. The success of 2021 meant JRD could finally graduate from its humble bedroom brand, and the first JRD studio opened. 

Adapting

2022

2022 was a year of adaption and transformation. Following two extremely intense years, it was time to think about the long term position of the brand. As the brand evolved over the years, John’s vision for its future had too – he had become captivated by the possibility of creating his own shoe, and so the design of his first classic silhouette began. Sourcing relations with factories and traders whose values and qualities aligned with his own, he formed a strong relationship with a family run business in Portugal. A country renowned for its craftsmanship in footwear and quality materials, Portugal offered John the ability to design a bespoke silhouette crafted from premium natural materials. 14 months later, the final prototype was created and it was time to re-launch as the new JRD Studios.

Introducing JRD Studios

2023

JRD Studios launched in 2023. As the brand was evolving it felt like the right time for the company name to also. JRD Studios references all of the spaces that have been used to create the brand up to this point, and prepares for the future spaces that the brand will evolve into. This year also introduces the brands first silhouette, the D98. This timeless basketball inspired silhouette embodies everything the brand stands for and emphasises the direction of the brand moving forward. This product is now available in both a Mocha & Chocolate colour way. 

The Studio –

At JRD Studios we are passionate about remembering our roots, and we know that for many of our clients it will still be important to have the option for bespoke and unique designs available. Therefore, the 'Studio' will be open at selective times during the year for all hand painted exclusives.