As a family-owned business, there has always been an emphasis at Peter Sheppard on family. So, it would come as no surprise that Peter Sheppard himself is still heavily involved in the business, with his son Chris Sheppard as CEO and grandson Hugo the namesake of Peter Sheppard Footwear’s own brand, Hugo Sheppard.
Though work might be a common topic of conversation at family get-togethers and celebrations, Father’s Day is always a perfect opportunity to put the business aside and focus on being together - whether that’s physically or virtually. To celebrate Father’s Day this year, we asked Peter, Chris and Hugo Sheppard a series of questions about what fatherhood means in 2021.
P: My finest memory for Father's Day was becoming a father for the first time after our first child arrived, 53 years ago.
C: Father's Day for me is all about being together with my family. It typically involves lunch with my wife and kids and a walk along the beach. For me this is a perfect day.
H: Last year I made pancakes for Dad, and it made me feel happy because we all sat together for breakfast.
P: Blood is thicker than water as they say, and even though there may be disagreements we are all on the same page. Things always get sorted out and we all row the boat in the same direction.
C: Working for the family business is always exciting. We have the opportunity to try new things whether it be new product or new technology. We consider these options together and always agree to ‘give it a go’. The most challenging part is that you are often in the spotlight, with very high expectations to succeed and make good business decisions. You could say that this forms part of my motivation to push myself.
H: There are no challenges for me at all. I love meeting and seeing all the people in the office and shops.
P: Nothing has really changed at all, as we have always been so close-knit. We are definitely more in touch with Facetime and Zoom, etc, and it’s easier than ever to get in touch with family because we are home so much!
C: It is a good question as it’s one I constantly think about. Family has never been more important to me than during this pandemic. If anything, it has reassured me that we need each other, and we need to ensure we are there for our loved ones. I have really enjoyed being more present at home, providing support to my wife and seeing the kids doing their schoolwork.
H: It has allowed me to be with my Dad more and do really fun activities like bike riding.
P: Cooking up some great food with new recipes!
C: We will be in lockdown in Melbourne so I think it will involve an early morning walk for exercise down at the beach with the kids and our dog Darcy. I hope it also involves a BBQ lunch and maybe some finals footy in the afternoon!
H: At home with Dad where I hope we can have breakfast together and maybe go to a park.
P: MARZIPAN by Porta Rossa. Why? It's very novel and a design based on the traditional T-bar concept with a radical new twist thrown in.
C: I think MAPPA in the Hugo Sheppard collection is terrific. It looks amazing on the foot and the colours are perfect for spring.
H: Anything in the Hugo Sheppard collection!
For the fathers (and grandfathers, husbands, uncles and sons) of our wonderful customers... We thought this was also a timely opportunity to share that Peter and Chris Sheppard are currently working on a men’s capsule collection, which will be available to purchase in time for Father’s Day 2022. To be the first to find out more, please sign up to the mailing list here.
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