Wolf & Shepherd — Earth Connect

Wolf & Shepherd introduced three new colorways to their SwiftKnit Derby collection—stone, storm, and pine. Inspired by nature, these muted earthy tones ground us.

The goal was to get outside and place each color into their own environment. The Alabama Hills provided the perfect color palette and backdrop to connect all three colors.

Role

Creative Direction, Design, and Copywriting

Credits

Daniel Shirley - Footwear Design
Tanner Wilson - Photography

The Story

The car was packed the night before. As my last meeting came to an end, I topped off the coolant tank and headed for the hills. I brought along my brother, Tanner, who unlike me, is no stranger to Alabama Hills. We successfully escaped LA and arrived to the warm, welcoming glow of Lone Pine’s neon. We made a left turn just before the flashing rainbow trout that seemed to jump out from Slater’s Sporting Goods. The road turned to dirt. Shifting into low gear, we navigated through the darkness and found a place to set up camp between two rock formations. I unfolded the rooftop tent and went to bed.

My brother woke up earlier than me. I think he wanted to see my face when I unzipped the tent and saw the jagged peaks of the Sierras for the first time. The prominence of the mountain range was truly breathtaking. 14,505 feet will really ground you. After soaking up the views over our morning coffee, we headed up Whitney Portal. No matter how many twists and turns the road took, Mount Whitney seemed to always be framed so perfectly.

Everything transformed. Rocky hills became tree-lined mountains, the air was now frigid, and the smell of sagebrush turned to fresh pine. As the road came to an end, we continued up on foot, gaining elevation with every step and heavy breath. We looked back and saw the hills shadowed by Mount Whitney. The winds picked up, whistled through the trees, and lifted the snow from the mountain tops. There was a sense of calmness in the way it floated above the peaks in the distance.