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By Alexander Patino
POSTED March 22, 2011
DESIGNER NEWS
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John Lobb: 'Spirits of Capitals' - The Bespoke 2011 Collection
Eleven cities. Eleven teams. With 'Spirits of Capitals', John Lobb - the masters of the bespoke shoe, set forth
and captured the spirit of eleven capital cities in twenty-two works, of not just shoes, but art.
"Imagine a pair of John Lobb shoes that embodies the spirit of your city, and we will craft it."
and captured the spirit of eleven capital cities in twenty-two works, of not just shoes, but art.
"Imagine a pair of John Lobb shoes that embodies the spirit of your city, and we will craft it."
Every man dreams about it. It's the epitome of lavishness and in it's own manly way, it's as mussied up as a guy could get without feeling guilty. A pair of
John Lobb bespoke shoes, custom-made to the buyer's ultimate specifications, right down from the specific leather, the shape, the style - everything. With
a 150 year old heritage, it's safe to say that no company has a firmer hold on that exquisite tradition quite like John Lobb.
The British bootmaker, whose Paris atelier at 32 rue de Mogador has been managed by Hermes of Paris since the 1970s, is where all the nonpareil
skilled craftsmanship takes place. But thanks to its partnership with the always luxurious Hermes, John Lobb has expanded to a number of boutiques
worldwide, some of which offer the same made to measure service.
When the essentials of your business are catering to the specific needs of all kinds of men in different parts of the world, surely some standout details are
bound to pop up. The New Yorker looking to treat himself to a pair of John Lobb bespoke shoes or boots is probably going to go for something a bit
different than his counterpart in Moscow, or say Dubai. That's where 'Spirits of Capitals' comes in.
John Lobb bespoke shoes, custom-made to the buyer's ultimate specifications, right down from the specific leather, the shape, the style - everything. With
a 150 year old heritage, it's safe to say that no company has a firmer hold on that exquisite tradition quite like John Lobb.
The British bootmaker, whose Paris atelier at 32 rue de Mogador has been managed by Hermes of Paris since the 1970s, is where all the nonpareil
skilled craftsmanship takes place. But thanks to its partnership with the always luxurious Hermes, John Lobb has expanded to a number of boutiques
worldwide, some of which offer the same made to measure service.
When the essentials of your business are catering to the specific needs of all kinds of men in different parts of the world, surely some standout details are
bound to pop up. The New Yorker looking to treat himself to a pair of John Lobb bespoke shoes or boots is probably going to go for something a bit
different than his counterpart in Moscow, or say Dubai. That's where 'Spirits of Capitals' comes in.
How do you capture the essence of a city in a shoe? What are the defining features of a boot that unquestionably embodies London, or the stitching on a loafer for the quintessential Seoul
man? To find their answer, John Lobb assembled eleven teams in eleven capital cities to create two pairs of shoes that truly capture the deeply-rooted spirit of their respective cities. Sales
staff, clients, tattoo artists, writers - men from all walks of life teamed up to bring the basis of this project to life - and what they made is startling (in the best possible way, of course). Tracing
each city's navigation from initial idea to final product, courtesy of the colorful mood boards, one can see the skylines of Tokyo, excerpts from Oscar Wilde's Lady Windemere's Fan next to
a map of the London Underground, color-penciled drawings of flowers in Moscow, and even the postage stamps in Dubai.
With this gambit in mind, Paul Goring - the Director of Operations for John Lobb USA, took me for a tour at Hermes, Madison for Men to get a good look at their bespoke 2011 collection. And
there they were. New York, Paris, Tokyo, Hong Kong, London, Moscow, Beijing, Taipei, Dubai, Seoul and Geneva - eleven of the world's greatest capital cities in one sun-bathed atelier on
Madison Avenue. All different, but all resplendent.
The New Yorkers opted for two classic oxfords with a double vamp, each crafted in full-grained box-calf, sans lace, but with an elastic strap. For a great shoelace, look to Paris's
Balmoral-style oxford in black box-calf and Dedar canvas. Decked in an Art Deco spirit, these laces, as Mr. Goring so colorfully called them, were "cummerbund laces" and that's just what
they looked like. The Verel de Belval kid leather canvas on the other oxford was designed by a Parisian tattoo-artist. Seeing that quip translated onto the shoe is enough to bring a smile to
your face. It's no wonder that the excelsior pieces came from the house's motherland. London came in two derby low boots, fully decked with hooks and eyelets in Barenia calfskin and
cotton canvas. The gold Barenia with a khaki canvas derby boot with a leather buckle strap at the ankles, literally, takes your breath away. It's one thing to look at it in a pamphlet. To hold it in
your hands is another thing altogether.
Luckily, these once bespoke models come ready-made for the man that wants it just as is. We can't imagine tweaking that London derby any other way. But for those out there that still need
to put their own spin on things, here are twenty-two new pairs of stunningly hand-crafted shoes, who in their very nature, give you license to take a little of this one and a little of that one, if
that happens to be precisely what you please.
man? To find their answer, John Lobb assembled eleven teams in eleven capital cities to create two pairs of shoes that truly capture the deeply-rooted spirit of their respective cities. Sales
staff, clients, tattoo artists, writers - men from all walks of life teamed up to bring the basis of this project to life - and what they made is startling (in the best possible way, of course). Tracing
each city's navigation from initial idea to final product, courtesy of the colorful mood boards, one can see the skylines of Tokyo, excerpts from Oscar Wilde's Lady Windemere's Fan next to
a map of the London Underground, color-penciled drawings of flowers in Moscow, and even the postage stamps in Dubai.
With this gambit in mind, Paul Goring - the Director of Operations for John Lobb USA, took me for a tour at Hermes, Madison for Men to get a good look at their bespoke 2011 collection. And
there they were. New York, Paris, Tokyo, Hong Kong, London, Moscow, Beijing, Taipei, Dubai, Seoul and Geneva - eleven of the world's greatest capital cities in one sun-bathed atelier on
Madison Avenue. All different, but all resplendent.
The New Yorkers opted for two classic oxfords with a double vamp, each crafted in full-grained box-calf, sans lace, but with an elastic strap. For a great shoelace, look to Paris's
Balmoral-style oxford in black box-calf and Dedar canvas. Decked in an Art Deco spirit, these laces, as Mr. Goring so colorfully called them, were "cummerbund laces" and that's just what
they looked like. The Verel de Belval kid leather canvas on the other oxford was designed by a Parisian tattoo-artist. Seeing that quip translated onto the shoe is enough to bring a smile to
your face. It's no wonder that the excelsior pieces came from the house's motherland. London came in two derby low boots, fully decked with hooks and eyelets in Barenia calfskin and
cotton canvas. The gold Barenia with a khaki canvas derby boot with a leather buckle strap at the ankles, literally, takes your breath away. It's one thing to look at it in a pamphlet. To hold it in
your hands is another thing altogether.
Luckily, these once bespoke models come ready-made for the man that wants it just as is. We can't imagine tweaking that London derby any other way. But for those out there that still need
to put their own spin on things, here are twenty-two new pairs of stunningly hand-crafted shoes, who in their very nature, give you license to take a little of this one and a little of that one, if
that happens to be precisely what you please.
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