CLOTHES MAKE THE MAN
The extraordinary mens blog for the modern man
/

Happy and glorious, Long to reign over us: The Best of British Menswear Designers X Grenson Shoes for MRPORTER

imageIn the latest of an increasingly must have exclusive line of collaborations, hosted by uber e-tailer MRPORTER.COM  is with, what can only be described as the hottest role call in young British Menswear Designers. The likes of Agi & Sam, Craig Green, Christopher Raeburn, Matthew Miller, Katie Eary and Sibling have each designed a pair of shoes, made by heritage footwear brand Grenson, which will be sold exclusively on MR PORTER.

The Grenson factory in Northamptonshire was founded in 1866 , and was the first in the world to employ the “Goodyear welt” method of construction, a technique that has become a hallmark of all well-made British shoes. In 2005 Tim Little joined the company as Creative Director to revitalise the brand and with the launch in 2006, of his easier, altogether more modern take on traditional English shoes, introduced Grenson to a whole new generation of men.

Taking the multiple styles on offer within the Grenson G: Lab programme, the designers have applied their very creative and individualistic vision to a mix of boots, brogues and loafers. Agi & Sam’s shoe uses three different types of black leather on a thick crepe rubber sole, while Katie Eary has created a cobalt blue double monk. Craig Green has taken an all-black brogue and added a utilitarian elastic strap fastening and chunky tread, and Matthew Miller has given a black derby shape a crocodile-effect treatment. Christopher Raeburn’s contribution is a military inspired boot, and Sibling’s trademark use of colour is evident in a pair of sky blue penny loafers with bright pink lining.

/

Great British Shoes – Grenson’s pop up in Liberty Menswear

8_webI love it when two great brands, no matter what the industries, come together to produce something a little different, but overall great. In today’s instance, it’s the genuine National treasure Department Store Liberty and the Brilliant British footwear brand Grenson.

So if your planning a little jaunt to the nation’s capital or even better if you have the pleasure of living here, ensure you plan a trip down to Liberty between now and the 3rd of November to experience the Grenson Lab. Situated in the Men’s shoe department, you can choose your own shoe and have it made specifically to your own tastes and requirements and with your own choice of colours and soles. Your shoes will be handmade in the Grenson UK factory and you can even have your own name or a message handwritten on the lining.Prices start from £380 and your shoes will take approximately fourteen weeks to make, so not only an ideal Christmas gift but will lift your spirits from that post Yuletide lull.

G-Lab-4GREN1_webTim Little Owner and Creative Director Grenson had this to say of the project when we recently bumped into him;

“We first ran our Lab back in April on the womens floor at Liberty and it was a huge success.  People were coming in and getting pretty creative with their shoes, in fact the factory floor looked very colourful in May.  Because of the success Liberty asked us to do it again as part of their “Get Creative” promotion, but this time to extend it to a full-up Lab in the Mens shoe department too. Once again we are looking forward to seeing some of the exciting shoes that people will create, and who knows, maybe one or two of them might end up in the collection!”
G-Lab-10GREN1_web