When we connected with rad dad Ryan Libbey last year, we knew we'd found a kindred spirit.
Together, over the past 12 months, we've designed a capsule collection and created a new Roarsome Character - Grizz the Bear - based on a series of stories that Ryan is writing around parenthood and the qualities that we want to instill in our own children.
The collection launches on Sunday, September 13th and we're celebrating with a huge event at our Flagship Store in London. Bring the whole family!
If you're not in London, or can't attend that day, still use the RSVP below and we'll send you the link to the collection when it's available to purchase.
For the past few years, I have been developing a series of children’s books inspired by the version of fatherhood I am living with my son, Leo. The stories follow a family of bears as they encounter the world through the seasons: heading into the woods, trying new things, getting lost, finding their way and growing closer through the adventures they share.
Although written for children, the stories are also about the adults walking beside them. They explore the values we pass down, the examples we set and the kind of people we hope our children will become.
Grizz began as the young bear within those pages. He is inspired by Leo and by the qualities I hope to nurture in him as he grows: courage without bravado, confidence without arrogance and strength that does not need to announce itself.
He is adventurous, but thoughtful. Reserved, but never afraid. Gentle, dependable and quietly brave. He represents a version of masculinity rooted in kindness, emotional security, curiosity and care for others.
At a time when boys are increasingly exposed to louder and more performative ideas of what it means to be strong, Grizz offers something different. He reminds us that strength can be patient. It can listen. It can protect without controlling and lead without needing to dominate. Sometimes the strongest person in the room is the one making others feel safe enough to be themselves.
When I connected with Roarsome, I found a brand that shared this outlook. Its founders, Ed and Will, are fathers to boys of a similar age to Leo, and beneath the clothing, campaigns and characters is a genuine commitment to childhood: protecting children’s freedom to play, encouraging them away from screens and helping them discover what their bodies, imaginations and bravery can do outdoors.
Much of the work I create comes from the adventures Leo and I share. Cycling, camping, surfing, exploring and learning as we go. Those experiences may look like play, but they are where so much of the important work of childhood happens. It is where confidence is built, curiosity is rewarded and some of our most meaningful family memories are made.
A year after first connecting with Roarsome, the team has helped take Grizz from the page and bring him into their world. Seeing a character shaped by my relationship with Leo become part of the Roarsome family, and form the heart of his own collection, is incredibly special to us.
For me, Grizz represents what can happen when storytelling, family and shared values come together. We are three fathers trying to build something meaningful: something that encourages children to step outside, be curious, find their courage and grow into people who leave others feeling stronger too.
Grizz may be a little bear, but what he stands for feels much bigger.
To celebrate Father's Day we planned a dads and lads camping trip.
We switched off digital devices and headed deep into the woods.
We made a fire, built bridges over streams, rolled homemade pizzas, toasted marshmallows, biked through fields and most importantly gave our undivided attention to our sons.
There's no greater gift we can give our children than being truly present.
Here's to all the rad dads out there.
