Popular drink bottle brand Frank Green has already collaborated with the likes of Disney, the Matildas and even homegrown fitness empire Kic, but its latest collab sees it join forces with one of the mainstays of Australian fashion retail, Oroton.
Fresh from its partnership with luggage brand, and former Smart50 winner, July, Oroton has teamed up with Frank Green to launch a limited range of reusable cups and bottles, featuring Oroton leather accessories, as well as a removable leather holder.
The products are priced from $89 for the water bottles, through to $149 for the leather holder, and will be sold in Oroton stores and via Oroton’s and Frank Green’s online channels, starting this week.
It is somewhat of a coup for Frank Green, given Oroton’s more than 80-year history in designing and producing luxury leather goods and fashion collections.
Frank Green’s founder and CEO Benjamin Young said both brands are focused on “quality, innovation and of course sustainability.”
Oroton CEO Jenny Child and her team “connected with our mission,” Young told SmartCompany on Friday.
“And together we believe we can encourage more Australians to make mindful gifting choices this holiday season — buy once and buy beautifully.”
Although Frank Green is well-known for its product partnerships, Young said working with external partners remains exciting.
“I can’t explain how passionate I get by our collaborations,” he said.
“I get out of bed looking to solve a customer need and find an innovative and considered design solution.”
Early signs suggest the collection has impressed the large, engaged and loyal following Frank Green has built since it was established more than 10 years ago.
“It’s been amazing, we’ve sold out of the majority of sizes and styles,” said Young.
While the brand started out making reusable coffee cups and water bottles, it has since expanded into food storage and pet accessories as well.
And Frank Green customers have played a key role in this product evolution too — from helping the brand to refine the design of its innovative drink bottle lids, to providing inspiration for entirely new products with viral TikTok hacks for their so-called ’emotional support’ drink bottles.
Indeed, the brand describes itself as not a person (or product) but a philosophy: “we are frank about living green”. This commitment is reinforced by its partnership with the global environmental organisation and impact network Parley for the Oceans, which was officially launched in July this year.
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News Editor
Prior to joining SmartCompany, Eloise was news editor at Books+Publishing, the trade press for the Australian book industry. Eloise has degrees in media and communications, marketing and business management, and political science. You can follow her on Twitter at @ellykeating.
