On Monday, designer announced on LinkedIn his new role as and at . It marks a major shift for both the brand and McKoy, who left last January after ten years, four of which were as creative director. McKoy expressed pride in this new beginning, adding that it represents a great return to . The designer had previously worked for the group years ago: in addition to Dr Martens, his career includes key roles such as global product manager for adidas, product manager for (owned by the group) in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, and category manager for Asics Tiger and Onitsuka Tiger. “I’ve been fortunate to work with heritage brands - the designer continues in his LinkedIn post - shaping stories, building products, and collaborating with teams committed to connecting brand, consumer, and culture with purpose.” Expectations for Timberland’s new creative direction are quite high: McKoy and his team managed to grow , even though in recent months (partly due to the announcement of his departure) the company’s revenue dropped by 18%. With an extremely creative approach to the brand’s history, the designer enriched Dr Martens’ personality—a brand that, given its , has always been closely linked to and . With Timberland, McKoy will need to do the same, bringing the brand back to the forefront of urban style.

To understand how Timberland might change under the new creative direction, we need to look at Dr Martens over the past four years. From with renowned brands such as , and to the introduction of new silhouettes, McKoy’s approach to Dr Martens’ design was innovative but firmly stylistic codes of the English footwear brand. The creative direction of the Sheffield-based designer balanced perfectly between the era of sneaker hype and adoration and that of the and a more understated style. Looking closely, McKoy played a major role in the fashion of those years, becoming one of the and more on design. At Timberland, the designer may attempt a similar approach: starting from the brand’s deep history and its greatest classics to find new stylistic directions. We could see the brand involved in many , the discovery of new silhouettes, a stronger celebration of Timberland’s heritage, and the addition of new textures and colors. At a time when fashion is refocusing on craftsmanship, McKoy can bring Timberland back to the values that made the 6-inch boot a timeless icon: durability, versatility, and functionality. With a keen eye on music and the subcultures it inspires, McKoy is preparing to tell the stories of new generations through the lens of the Timberland tree.