Stomping Ground, a recently-opened local boutique, teamed up with American clothing designer Ebbets Field Flannels to release an Ottawa-themed “clothing capsule”. The capsule’s launch party was on Sept. 24.
The capsule includes a crewneck in two different colours, grey and beige, a baseball hat adorned with the Ottawa Athletics logo, and a navy zip-up grounds crew jacket.
The idea for the collaboration came from the co-owners of Stomping Ground, Naj Peterson, and Josh Chambers, and their respect for the Ebbets Field brand, according to Peterson. He said they wanted to create a timeless garment that represented the city that they’re from.
“[Ebbetts Field is] quality, it’s a family-owned company, made in the [United States]. Everything’s usually hand-sewn, handcrafted, and it kind of just fit the nature of what we’re trying to do,” Peterson said.
Peterson said he and Chambers knew from the get-go that they wanted to collaborate with the brand.
“We had the pleasure of meeting the owner at a Las Vegas trade show in February of 2016 and immediately informed her of our desire to collaborate on a project representative of our hometown,” Peterson said.
Peterson said other sports organizations, like the Ottawa Senators, were considered for the capsule, but the Ottawa Athletics baseball team was chosen due to its lesser-known reputation and geographic location. The Ottawa Athletics were a professional minor-league baseball team that played at Lansdowne Park, just down the road from Stomping Ground’s Bank Street location.
Peterson said he and Chambers wanted to do something that hadn’t been done before.
“The team was only here from 1952 to 1954 and most people don’t even know about it, so it’s kind of cool to pay respect to that actual team, and to tie it into our story as well,” Peterson said.
The team’s history made its way into the clothes as well by incorporating historic details into its design. Peterson said this was also inspired by Ebbetts Field’s products.
“They make their products exactly how they were made at that time, so the grounds crew jacket is exactly what the grounds crew would have been wearing on the field, so it’s authentic,” Peterson said.
The Stomping Ground capsule’s launch party was a success, according to Peterson. He added that more than just locals were interested.
“People who don’t live in Ottawa now have tried to call us and say, ‘How can I get this? I want it,’” Peterson said.
The duo opened their boutique in August, and designed the interior themselves.
“We wanted to create a modern space with a minimalist aesthetic which still conveyed warmth and accessibility to our patrons,” Peterson said.
Peterson added Stomping Ground hopes to have more collaborations in the future.
