INTERVIEW: TIM SOAR
As if there wasn’t enough to put someone off from hitting the streets for a jog — whether it’s a dire-weather day, a busy day or, quite bluntly, a bad day — our running kit can actually work against us, too. If anything, the ex-high-fashion designer (and ex-graphic design consultant and music curator and DJ, you name it), now sportswear designer Tim Soar aims to ease the discomfort that will surely arouse when on a run, with the dripping sweat and so forth. A keen runner himself, he built a brand with the firm commitment to really go out and test every single product he develops with his team. Said prototypes then may get the SOAR seal of approval, if they tick the boxes that need ticking— which boil down to bringing about high-performance, technical activewear that is durable and, of course, good-looking. Man’s a fashion designer by profession, after all /
Time and again throughout your career in the creative industries, you’ve let the projects you’ve been involved in transmute into other artistic ventures. What has been your approach to your work from the get-go?
Most of the defining moments of my career have been made possible for the sole reason that I dared to take a view, whether it was by curating a playlist or envisioning a collection that felt right at the time. So on a macro level, it’s been all about trusting my view point. At a granular level, hard work has been my ticket to such creative positions. You’ve got to put the effort in if you want to actually execute what’s in your head. And if there’s one thing that kind of links the different takes I had on the art world, it’d be beauty. Beautiful things, as I saw and still see them.
More precisely, if we look at your work from 10 years ago, when you were designing collections for the LFW shows under your namesake label, you’ve seemingly always put a lot of thought into the cut and fit of a piece of clothing — your designs predominantly stood out for their simplicity and tight execution. How did your background in tailoring prepared you for making performance wear, and how did the transition go?
I’d say that my time spent as a tailoring designer prepared me extremely well for the technical proficiency required for making proper, well-fit running apparel. As you’ve noticed, what I got from my formative years in the high-end fashion industry is a real rigour to the construction of the clothes I make. Garments have to have to fit, and yet it’s not that simple.
Perhaps that’s why there’s a lot of crap in activewear, stuff that doesn’t do what it claims. There’s a lot of stuff that looks interesting at first sight, but once you get to put it on, it doesn’t allow the body to move and behave naturally as it should. Now I wonder if those who are at the head of some sportswear production had a background in tailoring, if they understood the way fabrics work, knew how to make pattern blocks, the cutting and sewing, the lining, etc., then maybe we’d see better clothes in the field. Too often it’s as if the garment’s wearing you and that, to me, is a fail.
Now that you’re making sports clothes, how do you ensure that what you sell is geared up for running?
Way back when I first started thinking about the brand, about how I could do things better in sportswear and was testing apparel from other brands, it seemed clear to me that most products haven’t been tested enough, for there were flagrant flaws. And so the way we get designs approved at SOAR, and that’s fundamental to our DNA, is through wear-tests.
I get to run into the prototypes in a lot of different conditions. I wear them when I feel good, or tired, or when the weather’s grim. When I’m running fast or slow. What feels off then gets fixed, and on and on it goes until the prototype becomes as ergonomic as it can be. I don’t think it’s possible to make top quality, cutting-edge sports garments unless you get to do the sport in question a lot. That’s really the only way to get it, with all its highs and lows, and all its needs.
Running must have become an essential part of your being and daily routine then. Were you always a keen runner?
No, not at all. I’ve never really liked sports. But when the DJing gigs began to take off in my late thirties, I realised that if I didn’t get fit soon I’d be a goner. That’s when it really came to me that doing something that tests the body not only helps strengthen it, it can do wonders for your mind. Now I think I’d go mad if I didn’t run regularly.
As we’ve been quarantined for a fair few months over the past year, it’s been challenging for some people to not only find ways to move and do any kinds of sport, but also to find the motivation to do so. For those who have been struggling with the lockdown restrictions, boredom, mental health issues, etc., how does physical activity such as running can help?
I can’t speak for someone who’s struggling with depression, but I certainly know that for me, running completely changes my mood, and for the better. During lockdown, I’ve run more than I ever run in my life. And for that reason lockdown has been an absolute joy for me.
What I’d say to somebody else is to give it a shot for a month and for them to go at their own pace, to pay no mind to the speed they’re running at. I’d strongly suspect they would not want to carry on. I can’t recommend it highly enough— it really does calm the mind.
Besides triggering a sense of wellbeing, would you agree with me that going for a run forces us to go outside and explore different areas and trails and, to some extent, to reconnect with the outdoors. Is there an actual connection there? Does running bring you closer to nature?
Well, I’ll tell you what. I was brought up in the country and one thing I missed when I came to London is you don’t see the changing of the seasons in the same way. Yet by spending time running outside, you do feel the cool season wearing off and slowly changing to spring and summer. One becomes more conscious of those fine, subtle details. Which you don’t really get to get if you’re not out and about. Running puts you in a very receptive state, and so in that sense it certainly does bring one closer to nature.
I think so, too. As city dwellers, it’s as if we’ve lost touch with nature and how it gets impacted by our culture of consumerism. Now, would you say that people who run or do another outdoor activity such as bike riding or hiking are more likely to be eco-minded in their life choices? Also, is your brand sustainable in any way?
I’d say so, yes. The more time you spend outdoors, the more you realise its concerns and fragility and thus become environmentally conscious. Now if we look at SOAR as a whole, it’s a clothing company that, frankly, is putting more stuff out there. The products we produce, though, are made to last. Our top priority is to make sure our products perform well, and what follows is our commitment to ensure maximum durability.
What’s more, we don’t ever do discounts. In doing so, we don’t end up with this huge end-of-season overstock we so commonly see in fashion. The Black Fridays and such just lead to overproduction and overconsumption and eventually, to more waste. I’d much rather do and offer a range of products that will stick around for the long-run, not just for the sake of a seasonal trend.
Performance-wise, what does a runner get from SOAR clothing?
The aim is for every product to do its job in the most unobtrusive way possible, whether it’s made for casual, competitive or long-distance runs. To the point where you get to forget about the garment you’re wearing, for it doesn’t get in the way of what the body can achieve. And that’s thanks to making the very act of running the focal point of our design process.
Can you recall a time while running where you wore a product that somehow felt wrong, and what did you do about it?
It has happened, yes. Among the first prototypes I tried when we started out, the one thing that stood out to me was that our clothes for challenging weather conditions weren’t good enough. But as it stands now, I’d say we’ve got a solid selection of clothes for poor weather, possibly the best one in the running scene. For one thing, winter sports garments shouldn’t be baggy, but rather ergonomic with a close fit— and that’s what we’ve brought about.
Another thing that improved through our wear-tests is a rather simple garment; the running vest. For some reason, it’s always been overlooked in favour of other, more sophisticated garments. It tends to be fairly heavy and loose and, ironically for a garment which is meant for sports, not fitting. So we came up with a light, open weave vest with a tighter fit. That way, the sweat quickly transfers away from the skin and evaporates through the breathable mesh fabric. That’s to say, whereas it looked like there wasn’t much to do, in truth there was a lot of room for innovation.
Looking at your range of vests, they do look sleek, indeed. And yet they’ve got rather elaborate designs, and are very vibrant and colourful at times. When does the decorative aspect come into play?
Once the garment’s functional side and durability have been considered, the next thing we’ll look at is the beauty part. But that kind of takes shape during the development process— when a piece of clothing fits so well that that in itself is a strikingly beautiful and satisfying thing. Then as long as the decorative elements don't come at the expense of the functionality, bring them on. Things have to be visually appealing.
While the runner’s needs are at the center of SOAR, would you say that the brand meets the needs of some other sports scenes as well?
Well, running is absolutely central to the brand. Having said that, plenty of our running clothes could work just fine for most sports, as they’re weatherproof, ergonomically cut, comfortable, etc. Surely they could be used for hiking and other outdoorsy contexts. But that’s because they’ve been designed for the specific needs of a runner. And truth to tell, there’s lots more to explore in the running world. We’ve just begun to scratch to surface, really.
Any insights of what could be improved?
As of now we’re looking at the role body temperature plays on our physical and mental exertions. Any coach will tell you that running is very much a mental game, and that building endurance has a lot to do with the mind. Given this, if we could work out a way of producing clothing that cools down when the body’s overwhelmed by the heat, then people would be able to last much longer in hot conditions (and vice versa when the temperature is too cold).
The other thing we’re looking at is fabric developments, as in engineering something that’d be waterproof but without any membrane in it. Although membranes are perforated with tiny holes throughout, there always are breathability issues. When running full speed, even a really good one like Gore-Tex is going to struggle in this regard. So we’re working ways to develop waterproof fabrics without that extra layer within.
In addition to making clothes that help them achieve the best they can, how’s the brand involved with the running community?
For one, we offer bespoke clothing for some of the many running clubs around the UK. There are tens of thousands of competitive runners across the country and for those who are part of an elite club, we give them a running kit that’s up to their level. We do so because, traditionally, the merch those clubs get tends to be rather basic, yet they give so much of their time and dedication to this sport. It’s only fair, then, that they get the best possible kit.
At a more grassroot level, each of our customers are welcome to join one of our training groups. And it’s got nothing to do with who’s running the fastest, it’s about the commitment they put in. That said, everyone who’s come to a session has improved significantly, considering they’re being treated and trained the way elite runners are.
Just out of curiosity, where’s your favourite place to run in London?
Being an east Londoner, I’m lucky to live in an area where there are loads of green spaces. I’m a walk away from the canal that runs along the Hackney Marshes, the Olympic Park, Vicky Park and so on, all of which I do enjoy going to for a run.
And lastly... as a music enthusiast, what’s on your playlist lately?
Ironically enough, I prefer running without any. I love music but it gets in the way of the zoned-out state that I enjoy so much. That’s that meditative state that keeps bringing me back for more. Hence why I like to run in silence, with just the sound of what’s going on around at the moment.
