At the next Pitti Uomo in January I am organising a shoe symposium, together with Stefano Bemer and Bespoke magazine, with the intention of showcasing the work of some of the best men’s shoemakers in the world.
We will have Cleverley, Corthay, Bestetti, Gaziano & Girling, Foster & Son, Norman Vilalta, St Crispin’s and of course Stefano Bemer. I’m pleased to say that Tony and Dean will be there from G&G, as well as George Jr and John Carnera from Cleverley (John does speak Italian, after all).
There will be an exhibition of bespoke shoes, a roundtable discussion I’m chairing, a photo shoot to go in Bespoke magazine, and a party afterwards at Villa Cora.
There is very little at Pitti that celebrates artisans any more, unfortunately, so I’m hoping this will be a little different. An opportunity to show the Pitti crowd what real craftsmanship looks like, perhaps.
The event will be fairly restricted, but if any readers will be in Florence on January 14th and would like to come along, I have three tickets available. Let me know at the usual email address. Either way, there will be lots of coverage here on the blog. I do hope it goes well.
Hi Simon,
Undoubtedly, this is a great initiative!
John
Just a question, Simon: with bespoke shoes, are both stiffeners (heel & toe) necessarily or usually made of leather instead of plastic? I just want to know where the difference with RTW lies.
Usually with all high-end shoes, yes
Hello Simon,
I will be in Pitti Uomo. I’m looking forward to listen your symposium.
Hi,
Please contact me at my email address with your name and details and I’ll make sure you are on the list.
Thanks
Hi Simon,
I will be at Pitti – will you be on a ‘stand’ open to the public to visit during the day?
Or it’s all part of the evening thing? I’m not sure what my schedule is in the evening but would love to come along for an hour or so if I can make it.
Hey J – it will just be the evening event. I’m afraid the three places have all gone now though.
Simon
Simon, thanks for a year of great posts and informative articles. Have a great Christmas and here`s to more Permanent Style in 2015.
Thanks Stephen. It means so much that it’s so valuable
Hi Simon
What do you think of the rule you should not wear coloured shirts in the evening?
My grandfather said you should wear only white shirts in the evening
As with any rule, you should understand and respect the reasons behind it, then break it if you want. In this case, a white shirt is more formal and creates greater contrast at night. Try it and understand it