– I used to work as a freelancer with the brands that are somewhere in between athleisure and what we call fashion (I’ve never liked that word though). Before that, early in my career I spent some time in agencies and other brands before immersing myself into the big picture and the product as a whole.

With Patrick coming to ROA in 2021, a lot has changed. Clothing and accessories were added to the brand’s collection. However, this is far from the limit of their cooperation.

Instagram: patrickstangbye

– I joined ROA because it represents what is close to my heart, both culture and nature, and the differences between them. Since I joined, I think we’ve tried to create a clearer narrative, and we’ve also added clothing and accessories to the brand. I saw that the brand and its potential could carry a certain message and evolve further and we are still discovering the path we are on. 

About what’s new in ROA in 2024

– What will the brand surprise us with in 2024?

– In 2024, people will see new forms of shoes, which we created first. Some shoes that we haven’t offered before have been in development for some time. We are also improving our offerings when it comes to fabrics and functionality in general. We are going to offer more solutions within the framework that already exists. This applies to both footwear and clothing, and we also bring some accessories to the market that have not been offered before. At the same time, we keep putting these products into a context, and we are happy to dialogue with our audience on its development. 

– Could you tell what kind of accessories these will be?

– In accessories we will have more bags for autumn-winter 2024.

About collaborations

– Collaborations often play an important role in fashion industry. Please tell us about any memorable collaborations you’ve been involved in and how they have influenced your personal approach to design?

– It is important for us that cooperation with partners brings its own perspective that they can add to our product, and so they fit well with each other and mutually respect each other from a creative point of view. From this prospective, I think we’re lucky because we get to choose who we work with, and they’ve all felt very natural so far. We have a few things coming out in 2024 that we’re looking forward to their release, but we’re also already working on a few new projects for next year. All of them fit into the above list. In our collaborations, we try to create products to remember. In terms of influencing our process, I think sometimes you learn how someone works or how they think and you can apply that to your own perspective. At the same time, those who we cooperate with have their own voice, which belongs to them, and we try to have our own references or even self-references already at this stage.

– Are there those who you would like to work in collaboration with?

– Unfortunately, the nature of collaborations has always an element of surprise, so we cannot talk about it at this stage. I can say that something will happen later this spring and closer to autumn.

About sport and running shoes

Instagram: patrickstangbye

– You run. Please describe your ideal running shoes. What would you recommend besides ROA?

– I’m not a pro at the moment, but I’d say I can be competitive if I take some time to prepare well. For me, perfect shoes depend on the terrain. When technicality increases stability, feeling of the ground becomes more important and adhesion becomes very important. Living in a northern climate, we have a lot of wet rocks and forests. Adhesion has always been one of the key points for me when choosing shoes. Comfort is also important for training and long-distance running. I have been using different products. I think a lot of brands have made a lot of progress in trail running in the last two years with softer foams and more responsive shoes.

The choice of a brand and a model depends on experience and a point of use. Norda, Nnormal, Hoka and Nike are probably my favorite brands lately.

About essentialism

– In one of the interviews, you said that you are an essentialist. How does this manifest in your work?

– I think that I am interested in the purpose and the meaning that a certain object or product is capable of carrying both functionally and emotionally. What does it serve a means of transportation for? How can we take it out and amplify it?

Instagram: patrickstangbye

– What do you feel when you see people wearing ROA clothes?

– I am grateful to them for spending their time and money to buy something and then for spending their time to wear it. There is also a dialogue and energy that comes from the way they wear it and combine it, which keeps informing us.

About Zelensky’s style

– Could you please say a few words about the style of our President Zelensky. What Roa items would you add to his wardrobe?

– I think he has a great sense of style, and I appreciate a lot of the symbolism in him wearing casual but militarized clothes during the war. He wears functional clothing, but also a lot of things that we as a team respect in the outerwear. I’ve also seen him in JJJJJound New Balance sneakers (our previous common project, Justin) and I have the same brown and black sneakers myself.

  As for ROA, I wouldn’t push anything on anyone and I’m sure he could find something he could integrate into what he wears. Maybe boots and the outerwear?

Instagram ROA, Patrick Stengbye