Sole, Soul, Scale Daniel Rubin founded Dune on the promise of affordable luxury. Three decades later, the global footwear brand has weathered shifting trends, economic shocks and fast fashion - all without compromising on craft. Rubin is the author of Sole Survivor: How I Built a Global Shoe Brand, published by Canbury Press, out 6th November.
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When Daniel Rubin opened the first Dune store on London's King's Road in the early 1990s, he wasn't just selling shoes - he was filling a void. "The gap I saw in the market was for what I called 'affordable luxury'," he says. "Leather shoes that didn't compromise on quality or design but sold, unlike the luxury brands, at affordable prices." Over 30 years and countless designs later, Rubin has built Dune into a resilient British brand with global ambitions - all while staying close to the product that started it all. Entrepreneur UK finds out more…
When the first Dune store opened on King's Road, what gap did you see in the market - and were you building a business or a brand?
In the early 1990s there were a lot of lower priced footwear specialists selling much the same range. Almost all have disappeared from the high street as clothing, department and discount stores started to sell the same product at lower prices. The gap I saw in the market was for what I called "affordable luxury". Leather shoes that didn't compromise on quality or design but sold (unlike the luxury brands) at affordable prices. My big goal, even in those early days, was to make Dune a global footwear brand.
Dune has stayed relevant while others disappeared - what's the one thing you've never compromised on?
For me the product is key. Although a chartered accountant my passion has always been product. If you don't get the product right, you are dead in the water. So, at Dune, we have never compromised on product design, development and ranging.
What was a painful mistake that taught you something you couldn't have learned any other way?
My biggest mistake was not reacting quickly enough to a rapidly changing world. I kept making shoes in London in the 1980s when production of low technology, high labour cost products, like footwear, was rapidly moving the Far East. Since then, I have tried, not always successfully, to anticipate change and stay ahead of the game.
As Dune scaled, how did your role as founder change - and what was hardest to let go of?
I still get involved in the product and send design ideas to the buying team. They don't always agree with my ideas but that's okay. I also regularly attend range reviews. I am good at spotting what won't sell. So, I haven't let go of involvement in the product. Being the guardian of the brand I am still involved in some aspects of marketing. To be honest I was happy to let go of other areas of the business because I recognise our CEO and senior team are much better at managing these areas than me.
After 50 years in the industry, what still challenges or excites you day to day?
The main thing that excites me is making Dune London a truly global brand. The UK economy is sluggish and unfortunately, I can't see any great change in the next few years. Our main growth is going to be international. Currently international retail sales accounts for 35% of our business. We want that to be 50% in the next three years. We are seeing very encouraging sales in the US. The Middle East is already our second biggest market after the UK with great growth potential. We are getting a tremendous reaction to our shoes and bags in so many other markets where there is a gap for an affordable luxury footwear and accessories brand like Dune London.
What do you think the next generation of fashion entrepreneurs will need to succeed that yours didn't?
There is no doubt that in an uncertain and rapidly changing world the fashion business is generally getting more challenging. However, there are businesses and brands that buck the trend. Above all fashion entrepreneurs will need to find a niche and a real point of difference in their products, in a growth sector of the fashion business, to succeed. They then must be ambitious (and look for global growth) and resilient, to handle the many global crises that will continue to buffet the global economy.
