Leo Jauncey : The Fellow Way

With the remarkable aptitude we have come to expect from bearded men, Leo Jauncey set up surf brand The Fellow Way – which offers beautifully designed boards, clothes and accessories for surfers searching for simple sophistication – with no previous experience in the fashion business. Leo, who has a background in Art and Creative Direction, created a brand where quality, longevity and the environment are top of the agenda. Based in Cornwall, The Fellow Way proposes simple, clean lines with attention to detail.

What’s more, founder Leo has great beard – so we were delighted to catch a few moments of his time to discuss his achievements.

Tell us about yourself and how you started The Fellow Way?

Fellow started because I just couldn’t find the shorts I was looking for so I set about trying to make my own. It was such a nice process to spec out exactly what I wanted from a pair of shorts and then see it through to production. With the shorts came t-shirts designs and I had been making my own boards for about 15 years so I decided to put a few of them under the same brand. I think Fellow is an outlet for my creativity aimed at something I am passionate about. I am lucky in that way. I trained as an Industrial Designer and have mostly been designing websites for the past 15 years so I knew nothing about the fashion industry when I started. I didn’t even know what a pattern cutter was. It’s all been very new to me and I have loved learning about everything.

What is the company ethos?

I just want to make really good quality, durable, stylish gear made as conscientiously as we can for the best price we can. Although of course I want a living out of this I’m not in it to get rich, I just want it to make a positive change to my life and the lives of people it touches. Having a little business like this gives me an opportunity to give something back too and that feels great.

How and where do you produce your board shorts?

The shorts are designed in Cornwall, tailored in London and manufactured in Portugal. It’s a lengthy process from concept to finished shorts and there are a lot of talented people involved all the way through.

Are any of your products manufactured in the UK?

All my boards are made in the UK from UK-made foam, as are all my accessories. My t-shirts are made in Portugal but the printing is done here too. I am currently looking a UK factory for all my t-shirts so fingers crossed. I hope, one day, to have my own factory in the UK but for now I just can’t make it work producing clothes in the UK – it’s just too expensive.

What has been the best experience since starting The Fellow Way?

I have leant an awful lot which has been great, and getting through the years of hard knocks and frustrations to have some shorts on my website and to hear the nice things people say is amazing. I am really excited to see where Fellow goes from here too, I get stoked on that every day.

How long have you had your beard?

It’s a fairly new growth, just since the start of the year. It grows pretty quick and there is a lot of it. I have had beards before but always cut them off before they got too long. This is the longest it’s been so far.  I have always been a bit nervous of growing it too long because it is quite ginge but living in Cornwall nobody seems to care. It goes down quite differently when I’m in London.

What’s your grooming routine?

Sorry to disappoint but I’m not big on grooming.

How do you look after your beard after surfing? Do you need special conditioner? Do you have a secret tip you could share with our bearded (surfer) readers?

I am an au naturel kinda guy, I’m not big on products. The salt water makes it even stiffer and more unruly, which I like. A friend got me to put some Moroccan oil on it once – that was ok. As for a tip, a clean wax comb makes a great beard comb.

What are you views on the ‘peak beard’ debacle? Do you think we are now suffering from facial hair overkill?

Debacle is the right word. I have a suspicion the original article was probably written by some kind of follically challenged hater.  Sure there are a lot more beards around these days but that’s a good thing. In my humble opinion it is still a good look, there are still plenty of ladies that swoon at the sight of a manly beard and until we get over 50% of the adult male population commit to the beard then ‘peak beard’ is a misnomer.  Lets not hear any more about this ‘peak beard’.

Who is your favourite bearded hero and why?

Chuck Norris, Mr Miyagi, Gimli, Teen Wolf… There are so many to choose from but I think every hirsute man is a hero and I like them all equally. You have to remember with a great beard comes a great responsibility.

www.thefellowway.com