SixbySixbloggers: My dream shoe

As soon as I was informed of the release date of the sixbysixbloggers project I knew precisely what I wanted to create. With absolutely no background in design and talent with a pencil, I thought about what I'm obsessed with during this season. As you should all know by now, I am always fascinated by Autumn colours. During November, the rich colours of autumn really come into play and I strive to envelop myself in them as much as possible. These Autumn hues of plum, rich red, deep green and various shades of brown should all be celebrated. Even the sound of walking through crisp leaves excites me and I wanted to create a shoe that replicated this feeling even walking on the greyest of pavements. To think that ideas that have been bouncing around my brain unreleased for years are about to be realised is nothing short of remarkable Thanks to the talented team at Six London I could create this true harvest festival of footwear.

My mood board for the shoe.

The above move board helps to demonstrate my obsession. From Fantastic Man's stunning look from October 2009,  my art attack dress up challenge and not forgetting the piles of leaves from Hampstead Heath and beyond that continue to inspire. The look from Fantastic Man really was the catalyst. Ever since my eyes first encountered the combination of autumnal hues and the comforting and playful layering I have longed to dress in the true spirit of this season of dropped leaves. Dressed head to toe in various autumnal hues, it is difficult not to have a little fun standing in a pile of crisp leaves. Am I slightly mad for wanting to dress like a fallen leaf? The answer is of course a resounding yes but do I care? Not a jot. Dressing each morning should be fun!

Having set the theme early on the rest of my design challenge was quite simple. The next step was to work on ideas of the shape and style of the shoe. What could be better to to kick through leaves than a desert boot upper with a creeper type sole. With this decision made, the first sketches were made and the process began to feel a bit more real. With this sketch and a head full of ideas and questions we landed in Guimaraes. With a beautiful Portuguese backdrop and with the help of the factory and expertise of its head, Paolo, the dream began to evolve in to a reality. Confronted with folders of options, from laces to welts to leathers, decisions were made and the Autumn leaf kicking boot began to take shape...

Decisions, decisions...decisions.

From this plethora of options and explored possibilities, the Autumn Leaf Kicking Boot was formed. Thanks to the expertise of Paolo and his team my ideas became a reality. The first sample and second prototype was ready just in time for the launch of the SixbySixbloggers project at the tail end of Paris Fashion Week. Aside from a few snapped images from the factory, the event was my first chance to see the design. I could not have been happier. The leaf print might be a little more subtle than expected but in all honesty I love it all the more for it. My photograph of fallen leaves now appears far more artistic than I could ever snap. The dream had been realised!

A few of the excited shots I took of the boot at its launch in Paris.

Aside from a couple of subtle tweaks, all that is left is for me to wear them and kick my way through a fresh pile of leaves. The shoes will be available on a limited run of twenty pairs and will be sold exclusively on FarFetch and Six London in November.

Details... the polka dot effect

I'm an absolute sucker for polka dots. They never fail to draw me in but I particularly love this William Richard Green look.

Sixby6bloggers: The Factory Tour

Now, I might be a little late when it comes to introducing ‘SIXby6bloggers’ because it has been mentioned across the blogosphere and beyond. However, if you've not heard about the project, it is an exclusive creative collaboration driven by global online marketplace Farfetch that showcases the production skills of cool shoe powerhouse Six London (creating and licensing shoes for Opening Ceremony, SWEAR and bStore) whilst helping satisfying the design whims of a selection of bloggers. Along with Susie, The Man Repeller, Stockholm Streetstyle, The Cherry Blossom Girl and The Facehunter, I've been able to create my dream pair of shoes - the Autumn leaves kicking boot (more on that later).

As you all know, I caught the shoe bug a long time ago and could not shirk the opportunity to create my ultimate footwear for Autumn and now that the project is close to fruition for a limited edition release I can say that I've enjoyed the process immensely. To think that ideas that have been bouncing around my brain unreleased for years are about to be realised is nothing short of remarkable. However, as exciting as the finished product is, one of the real highlights of the entire process came during a visit to Guimaraes in Portugal where I met the Six London team, had the opportunity to talk through my design with the craftsmen who were going to help realise my footwear fantasy and took a stroll through the factory where the majority of their men's shoes are made. Given my love of factory porn it makes sense to get the blogging ball rolling with a tour of the sights seen in Portugal. I've been fortunate enough to visit both Dr Marten's in Wollaston and Cheaney in Desborough and ultimately the stages of clicking, closing lasting, bevelling and polishing are very similar but with subtle differences and certainly no less interesting on each occasion. As I was led around the family run factory, I eagerly snapped away at each well honed process and got a little carried away with closeups of machinery... 

A selection of shots documenting the countless processes that come together for each pair of shoes.

Apologies for the sheer volume of images but I just can't help myself at times. I had a great time in Guimaraes.  Tomorrow I'm going to explain the thinking behind my shoe design and talk a bit about how I arrived at my choice of the Autumn Leaves Kicking Boot.

Treasured Items... Steve Sane

Every item has a story to tell. Of course, some stories are more captivating than others and here at Style Salvage, we strive to seek out the most interesting to share with you. After weeks of fashion and previews in what future seasons will bring, we've acquired a thirst for the tangible and items that have a real narrative and meaning to them as opposed to having been dreamt up by an excited PR. Here, Sane Communications and The Great Divide's very own Steve Sane continues are series of wardrobe tales and reminds us that there really is more to menswear blogging (and life for that matter) than the goings on at the latest trade show or glimpse of a runway...

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Steve Sane and the wedding ring

"I love this as it signifies in one gold band the man that I have become and how fortunate I am to have the lady and relationship that it represents. It's heavy and chunky and I always know it's there - a quiet reminder of my VERY animated wonderful wife with whom I share everything. She's a top lady. I'm super proud of it."

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Steve Sane and the protection ring

"This ring was bought by my aforementioned lady and it is made by HOPI tribe Indians - I am a big fan of Navajo belief and symbolism - the rings two symbols represent the scorpion and the bear - the sting and the protective weight look after me - it's blessed and I dig it bad."

Steve Sane of Sane Communications and The Great Divide

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Back to Autumn

Autumn is my favourite season. Whilst most have rejoiced in the heat wave we've recently enjoyed I've been impatiently waiting to fully embrace my wardrobe of wool, tweed and waxed cotton. I just love those mornings where I can layer, wrap and protect myself in an assortment of comfortable and practical fabrics. Of course there is the occasional grim autumnal day where we look outside and want to do nothing but watch old films and hide away from the world but after a hectic few months even these days are welcome. However, when the sun does shine I happily explore the changing landscape, rich in comforting tones that are ever evolving. 

Now, over the last few weeks I've been spoilt rotten on the gifting front, with gifts from French & English Confectioner's, Mr Porter and ASOS. With the arrival of these presents, I've never been so well prepared for the arrival of my favourite season. Receiving items on the back of posts always make me feel a tad uncomfortable. However, when the items received are as stunning as a knitted teddy jacket, a hand made backpack and a pair of made to measure shoes I have to confess that excitement takes over. This weekend offered the perfect chance to try on a few new items whilst delving in to the new season.

The getting back to Autumn outfit...Teddy Jacket by Monsieur Lacenaire, blue oxford shirt by Uniqlo, chinos by Ben Sherman and backpack by French & English Confectioner's.

With an accent on luxurious materials, Monsieur Lacenaire's accomplished debut reimagined the classic male wardrobe and played with age-old knit techniques. There was a welcome playfulness and a covetable depth of detail throughout but none more so than in the Teddy Jacket, a knitted Alpaca Varsity. Now, I've talked about this item at length in a post already so I won't gush all over it again but it was without question one of the highlight items of the entire season. Unsurprisingly, the item caught the collective eye of Mr Porter's buying team and thankfully for me, after I made their acquaintance last month they offered to make my dreams come true and gift me the item of my dreams. 

A closer look of an item packed full of detail.

The wonderfully named shoe and accessories label French & English Confectioner's (try her etsy store whilst the full site gets a makeover) first came to our attention after one one of its breathtakingly beautiful, hand made patent leather rucksacks was included as one of Fantastic Man's daily recommendations. We soon caught up the lady behind it, Lucie Gonnord, to learn as much as we could about her hopes for the label. After studying shoemaking at Cordwainers, Gonnord started to develop an idea for a design label that would enable me to hand-make my designs. The tradition of hand-making shoes and bags has all but died out in this country but Gonnord uses old equipment and vintage lasts to help keep the tradition alive. The patent leather rucksack was specifically designed for men, but works well as a unisex piece. It is based on the classic canvas rucksack that the designer recalls seeing everywhere in the 70s. The two-tone patent gives it a modern reworking and I love it so...

A closer look at the double stitching and leather drawstring closure

Having only posted about my made to measure ASOS Made in England chukkas yesterday, I will keep this brief. I love how the rust and snuff suede look against a pair of chinos and just cannot wait to blend in with the autumnal hues of Hampstead Heath.

Back to Autumn.

With this seasonal bounty, my only worry is keeping it out of the clutches of a certain Bubble. I will sleep with one eye open...

Matthew Miller Backstage at MAN

Thanks to the support and sponsorship of Topman and Fashion East, MAN has helped created a whole new momentum in the London menswear scene. With each season it evolves in profile and importance but the SS12 lineup marked something of an energised beginning. The talent showcase is dedicated to heralding what’s new in menswear but this most recent cast of designers was one of the most exciting to date. With expectations running, the trio of Martine Rose, Shaun Samson and Matthew Miller did not disappoint. The show was without doubt one of the real highlights of the hectic day. In particular, the sight of Matthew Miller's models marching across the stunning Royal Oper House setting left me feeling strangely proud and wildly happy.

Regular readers will know that Miller is no newbie in our eyes. Ever since, Matthew Miller first came to my attention with his standout RCA MA graduate collection which explored notions of masculinity with a somewhat jovial approach to the macabre, I have kept a close on Miller's continued development and rise to prominence. His work has impressed us for a number of years now and after capturing the collective imagination with his AW11 presentation, his addition to the show lineup marked a much deserved step forward for the design talent. A step the design talent took in his stride. To help document his on schedule catwalk debut, Miller enlisted the help of Miha F Kalan to record backstage as the finishing touches were applied to his analysis of function and necessity in the masculine wardrobe. A quiet Sunday afternoon could not be further removed from the fevered chaos that goes on out of sight during fashion week, so it seems like the perfect time to watch on...

ASOS Made in England AW11

In recent seasons commentators and brands alike have taken a keen interest in how and where their clothes are made. There have been numerous labels launched on the 'Made in...' wave of public intrigue and enthusiasm and I for one, welcome it. However, one launch seemingly passed me by..until now. For AW11, ASOS' Made in England footwear range is in its third full season. It was unveiled back in August and I was able to see just how the offering has evolved, talk to the craftsmen behind the range and order my own pair.

The 'Made in England' collection sees the ASOS footwear designers team up with one of the country's oldest and more special shoe manufacturers, NPS Shoes Ltd. Founded in 1881, at the height of the industrial revolution, as one of the world's original footwear manufacturers, NPS was formed as a workers cooperative, Northamptonshire Productive Society, and was the oldest of its type in the UK up until 2006. Although no longer a cooperative the employees and craftsmen maintain the original skills and ethics dating back over one hundred and twenty five years. Based in Wellingborough, NPS shoes are known for their goodyear welt technology and use it in all their shoe production. This particular technique is needed to fix their famed Solovair sole onto soft sole suspension boots and shoes. The name might not feel that familiar on first reading but I'm quite sure that you've seen or indeed worn their work without even knowing it. As I was talked through the capsule range for ASOS I was informed about the relationship with Dr. Marten's. To cut a long and complicated story short, shoe manufacturer R. Griggs Group Ltd. had the patent to produce Dr. Marten boots but not the technology so in 1960 Griggs and NPS collaborated to create a boot using the Solovair sole and a Griggs boot, the result was the now iconic Dr. Marten boot. Today their range consists of a number of collections including heritage, country and solovair but it is great to see ASOS open them up to a new audience.

The range for ASOS consists of hiking boots, derby shoes, two tone leather brogues, eight hole lace up flat shoes, chukkas and ankle boots. All feel decidedly British and showcase fine great British craftsmanship in addition to covetable design. On the launch night, a number of invited guests (myself included) were able to create their own made to measure pair of either chukkas or derbys. In addition to having a hand in the design of the choice it afforded the opportunity to learn a little more about NPS shoes...

First things first... my feet were measured. Apparently I am a perfect 10.

The assortment of leathers, suedes, welting and micro soles I could choose from.

Having made my choice of the chukka boots these Autumnal hues were my spectrum of options.

My choice. Chukka boots in a combination of wonderfully named rust and snuff with a natural welt and micro brown sole.

It was a great experience and I thoroughly enjoyed the entire process. Extremely happy with my choice made on that late August evening, all I had to do was wait for NPS and ASOS to realise my order. Five weeks later and just as real Autumn weather sets in my chukkas arrived... 

A lovely addition to my ever growing shoe collection. These will certainly pound the pavements this season and beyond.

For me, when it comes to manufacturing today the real onus should be on quality. Of course the slogans of 'British is best' are catchy but it just isn't true for everything. For me, we should not be interested in making something in this country simply for the sake of it or for branding. Simply put certain places or countries excel at different things. However, when it comes to shoes few places are better than Northampton and it is great to see a brand like ASOS support this tradition. I'm so pleased to see and fortunate enough to wear the fruits of this collaboration. Long may it continue.

Weekend Reading... Serious Pleasures

With their scandalous outfits and behaviour, a group of young and privileged bohemians captivated, angered and fascinated inter war period Britain. These 'Bright Young Things' as they were coined by the press, threw elaborate fancy dress parties, chased through nighttime London on treasure hunts, drank heavily and experimented with drugs. All tales of sights seen and even a few fabricated were all enthusiastically divulged on the pages of the tabloids. During the 20s and 30s, Stephen Tennant was an important member of this group. Indeed he was oft described as the 'brightest' of these 'Bright Young Things'. He is widely considered to be the model for Cedric Hampton in Nancy Mitford's novel Love in a Cold Climate along with being one of the inspirations for Lord Sebastian Flyte in Waugh's Brideshead Revisited. This weekend, as real Autumn settles in, I've turned to Phillip Hoare's 'Serious Pleasures: The life of Stephan Tennant' for company and to learn a little more about the man behind the decadence. 

Phillip Hoare, intrigued by this era of explored excess and Jazz age glamour spotted the frequent reference of Tennant but it was a Cecil Beaton profile shot that turned his interest in to an obsession. "The reason why I wrote about Stephen Tennant was that he was the embodiment of a fantastical world that I had inhabited throughout my mid-adolescence – a world that, for me, stretched from the Ballet Russes on the one hand to David Bowie's Jean Genie on the other" purred Hoare. Stephen Tennant had looked like David Bowie back in 1927. Gold dust shimmering in his hair and with an extraordinary leather coat with chinchilla fur collar nonchalantly worn over an Anderson and Shepherd suit. He was an alien in Mayfair. The resonance of Tennant's image - its alien androgyny somehow surreal in the environs of Smith Square - reached far beyond its years. Many were enthralled at the time but three generations later and Hoare was still mesmerised when he dedicated four years of his life to this wonderful biography of the Edwardian aesthete. Like Hoare, I've marvelled at Beaton's imagery of this intriguing world and read reference of its poster boy and I'm looking forward to finding a little more about the man. However, before I bury my head in its pages, I want to share a few of the images that accompany Hoare's words.... 

Photographs that catch the eye and capture the imagination litter this well researched biography.

Looking at these shots it is clear that Tennant’s outfits teasingly danced and boyishly bounced from the indulgently luxe extravagance to the theatrical, gender-blurring fancy dress. I'll no doubt be reading about this bright young thing throughout the weekend and beyond but before I do, I just want to leave you with an example of the fascinated gossip that was penned in the press during Tennant's peak...

"The Honourable Stephen Tennant arrived in an electric brougham wearing a football jersey and earrings."

William Hickey, Daily Express, 1927.

Details... Flag waving

Here's Daniel Jenkins wearing his heart on his sleeve, chest and back in a celebratory outfit of London designers for Menwsear Day. Polka dot shirt by Martine Rose, tuxedo trousers by Omar Kashoura and zip detailing jacket by Lou Dalton.