24 HOURS WITH:
GEORGE HEATON
Living his dream, runner’s highs and being his own designer: the co-founder of Represent shares a day in his life.
Author: Joe Blogs Photographer: JANE DOE
George Heaton is on a mission. Alongside his brother Michael, he’s spent the past 11 years building a Represent fashion universe. After bursting onto the scene back in 2012, Represent has established itself as one of the most popular luxury streetwear brands in the world.
The brand has developed a community of loyal fans, their pop up store events draw in mammoth queues and the brothers themselves have become big voice in the industry, from appearing on some of the world’s biggest podcast shows to attracting mass followings on Instagram and appearing in their weekly, much viewed, ‘Behind The Brand’ YouTube series.
Since the brand’s inception, George has established himself as an industry idol. Designer, entrepreneur and brand-owner, the 29-year-old has become a phenomenon in the business. Maybe it’s his flawless style or his unparalleled fitness regime that keeps us coming back for more. Maybe it’s his vision to create the best brand in the world or his endlessly wearable designs. But the George Heaton effect is tried and tested – and we just can’t get enough. From his exercise routine, to what a typical day looks like at Represent HQ, this is a day in the life of George Heaton.
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The first thing I do when I wake up is…
… clean my teeth. But after that, make my bed, get ready for the gym, make a coffee and head out. The first thing I think about is what the workout of the day is.
My workout is my number one action of the day.
I work out at 4:30am. After that, I use the sauna, take an ice-cold shower, and get ready for the workday ahead. My workout of choice is a mix of weights and endurance. A Crossfit style implementation with a bit of added time to a usual Workout of The Day.
I wake up early.
I get to complete a lot of my tasks, workout, recover, [have] breakfast and [some] alone work time before most people are up and ready to work. Then I can join in on the crazy workday and my priorities are completed.
I work out to...
A mix of heavy metal, rock and some modern trap/rap, depending on how I feel that morning, including: Avenged Sevenfold, Parkway Drive, A Day to Remember, Bullet for My Valentine to Young Thug, The Game, Future, Metro Boomin.
My biggest motivation is…
… continued effort and consistent growth in life and business.
Every day I’m inspired by…
… designers, creators, athletes, philosophers, business leaders, winners, and my team around me within Represent and the gym.
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My mission each day is…
Mind of a philosopher.
Creativity of an artist.
Body of an athlete.
Spirit of a rebel.
I stick to a very consistent diet.
On weekdays and weekends, the times that I eat are the same, this is what works for me best - my body knows what’s being consumed at what times and my schedule is exacting. I have three meals and two smaller meals. Pre-workout is a banana and coffee. Meal one is one whole egg, six whites, and a bowl of oats or cereal. Meal two, I’ll take a minute from the office and get chicken, cabbage and cauliflower. A snack will be a protein yogurt and mango. Dinner is always a steak, with a large volume of green veg, followed by a protein dessert or if I’m going into a longer enduring workout the next morning I’ll add carbs into the last meal, which is cereal.
Exercise gives me energy.
It makes me feel ready and is a hard task I enjoy completing every single day. It’s a non-negotiable that makes me feel ready for the day ahead.
Exercise fuels my creativity.
The runners high is a real thing, and the dopamine release of working out whilst having time without my phone or any distractions allows me to think creatively, like people say their ideas come to their heads when showering, it’s the same with working out.
Long runs give me great ideas.
Being outside in nature, without technology allows the mind to wander, it’s a great time to develop ideas and just think.
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I WEAR ONLY MY OWN. I LIVE MY BRAND ETHOS AND I AM MY OWN DESIGNER.
My style is inspired by luxury basics.
From a designer viewpoint, my favourite jersey was Haider Ackerman’s 16-18 collections - the fit, fabric and draping on a simple piece like a hoodie completely elevated the meaning of a hoodie but kept the comfortability and overall generalisation of that staple wardrobe piece.
I like to keep a structured wardrobe.
Small and precise, that’s what I use when designing for the brands mainline and 247. I keep my palette small - black, browns and whites usually. I want to be as comfy as possible day to day, whilst maintaining a solid silhouette, and up to date Represent pieces. A typical weekday outfit would be a pair of Apex, with the Utility Pant falling over the tongues, followed by a core tee tucked in, and an Owners Club hoodie on top.
The weekend isn’t much different.
I’ll push the boat out slightly with some more elevated pieces here and there, but I like to stay consistent, unless I’m heading to an event. I’d describe my style as ultimately Represent. I wear only my own. I live my brand ethos, and I am my own designer, so what I make is what I want to wear, and the seamlessness of the collections is how I style myself.
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On a typical day at Represent…
.. I get to the HQ at around 7:30am. I’ll spend an hour to an hour and a half of work alone, clearing emails, figuring out my day, and writing my power list. From then I’ll have a quick briefing with my close team. We kick the day off with a coffee around 9am and the day will consist of design, marketing, and content projects. A typical day is very much problem solving, designing, and creating. I’m living my dream.
Right now, I’m working on…
… designing Summer 24, signing off Spring 24, shooting FW23 and launching Spring 23, alongside a launch of 247’s 2023 collection later this month. It’s ‘organised chaos’.
I’m most proud of the team I’ve built.
And their relentless passion to join me on building my dream: the best brand in the world.
I want people to feel exactly the way I do when they wear Represent.
Comfy, luxury, unique and part of the community. The Represent head nod is such a dope thing that spreads across the globe with the community we’re building. I want everyone to feel part of this mission.
247 began with an ideology I had on a hike.
I wanted to make a versatile pant that could be worn to every occasion. We did that and it became our bestselling product. As my love grew for fitness, health and lifestyle, 247 became a collection and another element of my life that I could put into Represent.
Every day is different…
And not every day has great wins. But I love the product team getting together and being laser focused on a mission.
Working with my brother is beautiful.
We’re on this mission together. There’s no breaking the bond between myself and Mike. We hold each other accountable and set the standards.
WORKING WITH MY BROTHER IS BEAUTIFUL. WE’RE ON THIS MISSION TOGETHER.
On a typical evening…
… I get back from the HQ around 6:30pm. I’ll turn the sauna on, cook up a steak, then hit the sauna and ice, then I read for half an hour or so and by 8:00pm I’m ready to sleep. I’ll keep my phone away from the sauna time onward unless there’s a launch to do.
My signature dish is…
… truffle buttered fillet steak, smashed sprouts with honey, asparagus and spinach.
By 7pm…
I’m absolutely exhausted. It’s very easy for me to get down time.
The last book I read is…
Discipline is Destiny by Ryan Holiday. It’s extremely inspiring. Next up will be Never Finished by David Goggins. I read a book from Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant’s trainer, Tim Grover, last year. The meticulous efforts of consistency with winning and living the game gave me so much appreciation for both these top athletes that I wouldn’t have known about without reading that book.
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Right now, I’m recommending Andy Frisella’s podcast Real AF.
It gives such great value and insight into business and mindset building, but it isn’t the typical ‘get a guest on, tell the story of how they made it’. I also like Andrew Huberman’s podcast - it has insights, free tools and tips to optimise living, health and fitness.
On my bedside table I have…
A book I was given to as a Christmas present called Tools of Titans, a mini massage gun, and a Rolls Royce Key box.