4 Rules for Keeping Your Family Warm
December 21, 2011, By Craig J. Heimbuch 0 comments
You've probably seen A.J. Curran and don't even know it. He's the guy in that L.L. Bean commercial; the guy talking about outerwear with the nuance and passion of a sommelier going over the wine list. He kind of looks like that guy on "Parks and Rec," Mark; the guy from the first couple of seasons who played the city planner. He's also the guy whose living the dream every gear junkie dreams, the fantasy life of someone like me who has perhaps an unhealthy interest in coats, bags, boots and hats—all the accoutrements of the outdoor life.
As Bean's Director of Outerwear, he's the guy behind the coats, behind the jackets, the fleeces, vests and down jackets. It's his life in the outdoors, his experiences, his imagination, that ends up in America's most famous catalog.
"i grew up in the outdoors, hunting and fishing with my grandfather in Upstate New York," he says by way of background. And those early experiences ignited a passion so many men can understand. For some of us, it's tools. For others, it's cars. And still others golf clubs, sports memorabilia or old books, those things we admire, collect and are drawn to at a point well beyond intrigue or interest. For most of us, we work to support our passions. But for Curran, he's made his career out of it. He demurs, "I just always wanted to be involved in product."
The hunting and fishing led to skiing and other outdoor pursuits. Talk to him for more than a few minutes and you get the sense that working in an office, pouring over fabrics and designs, while enjoyable, is simply a means to an end, and that the end is located some place without a roof, running water or florescent lighting.
Ask him what's got him excited about Bean's current line and he'll tell you that it's the Ascent GoreTex jacket. Then he'll tell you about basically living in a GoreTex shell through college and well beyond. It's a little like listening to Mario Battali telling you that his favorite dish is some sort of pasta and then having him tell you about the little old Italian grandmother who taught him how to cook it when he was 20. It's the way experience influences output that distinguishes a craftsman from a fabricator, and Curran, though he doesn't stitch the outerwear himself, is a craftsman.
He also likes the return of the classic Northwoods parka and Ascent Packaway Pullover, and the longer you let him talk, the more of the catalog he'll claim to love and have a personal relationship with.
"It's really hard to answer what my favorite item is," he says. "It's like asking me to pick my favorite child. I just can't do it."
So he seemed like the right guy to ask about outerwear for the family. You really can't get much more expertise and experience. He spent 10 years working in Bean's footwear department and the last five heading up the outerwear division. In a company built on these things and legendary customer service, he knows the gravity of his position. But he's also an outdoorsman and a father. The products he guides through development are a reflection of his needs and experiences. They are what he wears, what he puts on his son when they head out into the Maine woods.
I spoke with Curran recently, catching him during a rare moment at his desk, and asked him to share some rules and advice for outerwear for the whole family. He was more than happy to help and offers a bit of wisdom for any dad this winter, whether he's slogging through a daily commute, sledding with the kids or heading out for some back country skiing.
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