Fidir

FIDIR is, in a word, an impetus. A force to be reckoned with. An improvisation in one hiker's mind who, as he tells the story, found him in a vast, wild, scenic place in coastal Scotland and had gone without water for many hours. Whether he hallucinated -or not- wasn't the end of his train of thought, for in a nutshell, what the man saw in his dream was a clothing line of his very own. How many guys had similar dreams and yet, MADE THEM REALITY?!? I can tell you here and now that Eddy Downpatrick is a man of many mantles, if you will. Oh hey - sure, you'll read that he's directly descended from no less than Queen Victoria, a woman & leader I have great respect and affection for. Eddy Downpatrick's dream now has met up with the reality that in starting from the ground roots, from the intense experiences of hiking for days on end - alone no less!! - and experiencing vista after gorgeous vista of what Scotland (and Northern Ireland) truly is ... all makes for the credible (if not daunting, I think - ) project of taking those experiences and creating clothing that reflects the colors, the immortal light of these worlds and ecosystems ... and putting said clothing on and honestly realizing that a whole lot of love went into creating all of this. Eddy (as we know him as), avails himself to INSURING that these products - accessories, clothing, bags, et al - also reflect a very interesting perspective that I've rarely heard about in designer's minds and muses of the day: RESTRAINT, he says, always and also plays a powerful role in developing such lines as well. And you, my friend, have yet to WEAR these clothes, USE these accessories and I confess, I am a True Believer! Trust me when I tell you that Eddy & Crew take on each project with every single intention of making these products a lasting experience. Each and every one will be undeniably TOUGH. Oh, don't take my word for it. Just LOOK at the joint projects he has in the works with the likes of Hancock, the group that creates fantastic quality rain gear. See what I mean? You'll get quality alright. Uncompromisingly TOUGH, RUGGED quality that was created in this way to reflect the TOUGH wetlands, bogs, hills, rivers, mountains and people of Scotland. But as if there were enough to settle for!! To my great surprise, my order to London was filled, shipped within the hour, crossed The Pond (the Atlantic) and was in my hands in little over 48 HOURS. Yes. Forty Eight HOURS. Two Henleys, one Cardholder, one Wash Bag later, I'm totally SOLD on this. But hey, YOU be the judge. I know truthfully that there is yet another aspect of these bags - Duffle, Wash Bag, Folding Rucksack, etc - some of them are lined with something SO unexpected, SO exquisite that I'm literally like a kid in the candy store for within them are the artwork of one Hermione Gibbs, Scottish painter whose art that highlights Scotland are so vibrant, so clear, so.....everything....that you can see that as a team, Lord Downpatrick and Hermione Gibbs have gone utterly to the furthest shore to bring you something you can be utterly PROUD to own and never shall you part with it! Take a look at this website, see for yourself that here is a fantastic venture, beyond start-up and already seeing some items sold out (I wonder why!!! LOL) - could easily become a fantastic company that always shows classic care to bring you utterly the best, with classic restraint, with the creative h-e-a-r-t of Scotland right into your home. No, it won't also come with a bottle of Talisker, the magical place Eddy writes about in his Blog (check it out!), but the best thing about this Founder is that he is literally down-to-earth, amiable to a fault, and always, always thinking of the next move to be made. Be surprised. I was - and always shall be. God bless FIDIR for the meaning of the very word in Gaelic was to experience". Haven't been to Scotland