Spanish Shoe Brands are Making Their Presence Known

There was a time when only the best bespoke and ready-to-wear men's shoes came from either England or Italy, but now Spain is emerging as a force to be reckoned with in the world of fine quality men's shoes. Although, the Spanish have made shoes just as long as the Italians and English, they have mostly been ignored by men's shoes aficionados. However, that is no longer the case and these four brands have definitely made their presence known.

Magnanni



 Known for their hand applied patinas and innovative styles, the   founder, Sebastián Blanco Aldomar, started working in Spanish shoe factories at the age of 12, and at the age of 44 decided to open his own company. The company began in 1954 with just five employees in a factory located in Almansa, Spain, on the ground floor of a house. In 1956, Sebastián Blanco partnered with Antonio García Pastor – and Blanco y García S.L. was born. The company’s products were registered under a new brand: BLANGAR.In 1989, the third generation of the Blanco family began to take its place at the head of the company. Miguel was the first member of this generation to join the family business. He was soon followed by Pascual, Sebastian, Luis, Rocío and Julio.

Carmina



This family owned made-to-order brand started In 1866, Matías Pujadas opened a small workshop in Inca, Majorca, where he began crafting tailor-made shoes. A generation later, his son Mateo Pujadas followed in his footsteps, and in 1905 he opened one of the first factories of Goodyear-stitched shoes in the Balearic Islands. In 1961, José Albaladejo Pujadas, the founder's great-grandson, continued the family tradition when he created one of Spain's largest shoe companies. In the 1980s, this firm turned out a total of one million pairs of shoes. In 1997, after a downturn in the market when the demand for luxury shoes dropped dramatically, José Albaladejo decided to create a new company together with his wife and some of his sons in their native Majorca. The new business was called Carmina Shoemaker, and its goal was to create some of the world's best hand-crafted shoes.

In the few short years since its inception, Carmina Shoemaker has established eight shops (in Paris, Barcelona, Bilbao, Valladolid, Palma de Mallorca, and three in Madrid) and competes in some of the best shop displays in Europe, Japan and the US against the most distinguished English shoemakers. Carmina Shoemaker shoes are Goodyear-stitched with the same techniques, consistency and perfection as their English counterparts – the only difference being that it crafts them for women as well.

Meermin



Meermin, established in 2001, is a company formed by members of the third & fourth generation of a renowned shoemaking family from Mallorca, who specialized in manufacturing high-end Goodyear shoes. The goal of the company is to produce high-end shoes at a reasonable and affordable cost to consumers. Their main interest is to pleasantly surprise the customer with the value (Quality & Price) of the product. To achieve their goal they seek to achieve permanently sustainable cost in manufacturing and distribution without having to compromise quality and product.

Jack Erwin


Although, Jack Erwin is not a Spanish owned shoe manufacturer, their shoes are made in Spain. Started in 2013, the brand's focus is to produce the highest quality of men's shoes at a price that's respectable and fair. In addition, another significant component of their business model is their distribution, the majority of their sales are made online exclusive while the remaining balance of their sales are made from their NYC store. They source their high-quality leather from exquisite Italian and French cultivators and the manufacturing is Blake construction (a machined process where the insole, sole and upper are all stitched together in a single stitch throughout).

The founders Ariel Nelson and Lane Gerson started the company because they were frustrated with not being able to find fashionable high-quality men's shoes for under $500, so they began the process of learning the business (neither previously worked in the shoe business, retail or otherwise), raising funds and launching their first offering May 2013. The brand's offerings are released in families of specific collections such as Sullivan, Foster and Wright and can be purchased easily from their website.

Crownhill Shoes

A new comer to to the Spanish shoe manufacturing industry, Crownhill Shoes combine great style, superb construction, and luxurious comfort into one modestly priced shoe brand. Founded in 2012, the brand is headquartered in Madrid Spain and with less than twenty artisan shoemakers they are able to craft one of the finest pair of shoes I own. The shoes are the perfect merger of style and comfort each pair is comprised of Blake Welt construction and the most subtle leathers and suede.

in addition, they carry a variety of looks for all occasions such as captoes, halfwing brogues, double and single monkstraps, and loafers tassel and plain. Crownhill shoes can cost anywhere between $250- $350 USD. Right now in the US they can only be purchased online at www.crownhillshoes.com. Generally, the shipping is free for basic delivery and  orders normally take less than two weeks to arrive.

Pictures and  content courtesy of:

Magnanni.com
Carminashoemaker.com
Meermin.com
Jackerwin.com
crownhillshoes.com



Dressing light for Winter in Luchiano Visconti

Some one told me the other day that you can tell how severe the winter weather will be by looking at the tails of grey squirrels, if their tails are really full and fluffy that means that we should expect a pretty harsh winter. I'm not sure how reliable that means of forecasting the weather is, but it really doesn't matter what the weather is like if you are dressed in the comfort of layers. The great thing about layering is that you can go either way, more layers for warming up or less layers for cooling down.

The best clothes for layering are sweaters, vests, sport coats and cardigans; they all work very successfully at trapping and retaining body heat. Today's men clothing designers have really focused in on making lines that are perfect accomplishing layering for cool and cold winter days. One of the newer and more successfully designers at pulling this look off is Luchiano Visconti.

Luchiano Visconti uses the finest imported materials and combines different prints to produce contrast details on the collars, cuffs, and placket for a cohesive fashion statement. The Italian inspired menswear line features jackets, pants, sweaters, scarves, vests, polos, and dress shirts. Luchiano Visconti has a predicated vision on what the modern man desires in their everyday fashion choices. It’s about discovering and creating fresh individual style.

His lines are all about placing huge emphasis on top quality, fine styling, and unique details at a great price for today's sophisticated consumers.




Courtesy of:
blink Public Relations
http://www.blinkpr.com

Alfred Dunhill Introduces its Autumn and Winter 2014 Lookbook

With over 100 years of experience in the world of luxury, Alfred Dunhill's history is filled with unique and exquisite products made to the specification of its most discerning patrons at the highest level of craftsmanship. This season the company launches its first collection from Dunhill's Creative Director, John Ray who looked toward the House's founder, Alfred Dunhill, for inspiration.

Alfred was a true innovator and entrepreneur and he lived his life searching for the new and undiscovered. He coined the term 'Motorities  ' to describe the exceptional objects and clothing he developed to make traveling a more pleasurable and practical experience. 'Motorities' inspired the AW14 collection.

Rich and luxurious fabrics from established and revered British mills are used across the tailoring and also blend into the sportswear. Reviving the old cloths with a new playfulness, such as Venetian wool which also adds color, the weaving of classic mohair but in a winter twill construction, and the development of a Tattersall flannel as a suiting. These unique touches are also developed further into the knitwear selection.

Who is Mr. Alfred Dunhill:

Alfred Dunhill (30 September 1872 – 2 January 1959) was an English tobacconist and inventor. He is the progenitor of the Dunhill luxury goods company and the Dunhill branded tobacco products from British American Tobacco (now two independently owned entities).

From 1893 Dunhill ran a company selling motoring accessories, and in 1902 opened a shop in Mayfair. He developed a pipe designed for motorists in 1904. He opened a tobacconist's shop in St James's in 1907, offering tailored tobacco blends. Shops were opened in New York and Paris in the 1920s. With his international ambitions, Dunhill helped to create the modern luxury goods market. He retired from business in 1929, and married his mistress in 1945, following the death of his wife.







Content and pictures courtesy:

GCK Partners
dunhill.com
en.wikipedia.org

The New Colors of Men's Dress Shoes

No longer are brown, black, and burgundy the only color options for men's dress shoes. A number of high-end European shoemakers are taking the lead on offering more color options for men's footwear. Leading the way is  Saint Crispin's, started in 1992, the Romanian shoe company only makes a single pair of shoes an order. Because their output is so small, they only deal with a select number of international partners around the world. However, their limited production affords them the privilege of making the most creative and well-made shoes on the market.



Next is J.M. Weston, this French company was founded by Edouard Blanchard 1891 and it thrives on taking classic styles such as derby and oxfords and giving them fresh and vibrant color. Although the company's name sounds English, J.M Weston embodies a very French style and more precisely, its very Parisian – form of elegance, in which timeless style is given a bold twist with contemporary influences.



Third, Scarpe Di Bianco, (Shoes by Bianco) this Italian shoe maker utilizes the combination of classic models with contemporary colors, and updated styling with traditional details, leads to decidedly current yet elegant models. The aim of the company is to give men a custom experience through a multitude of models, lasts, soles, leathers, and color options.

Scarpe di Bianco™ uses the finest materials and handmade workmanship to produce Norwegian and Goodyear welted bench made shoes, as well as shoes in Blake construction. The extreme emphasis to detail is notable in the rich colors and burnishes applied to the finished calf skins. The production is acutely artisanal in nature witnessed by the fact that no more than 25 pairs are produced per day.



Pictures and content courtesy of:

www.facebook.com
www.saintcrispins.com
www.jmweston.com
www.scarpedibianco.com