Today I have been re-aligning the stripe direction for our final striped Oxford samples. The masking tape in this photograph shows the preferred direction.  When the stripes run almost horizontally over the toe the last shape looks wider and less flattering to the foot. By altering the angle to run the stripe more acutely down the shoe the overall look is sleeker and less chaotic on the eye!

- Annejkh

I searched for a suitable fabric for our July Oxford for quite some time…and found a superb fine navy/white rope-twist stripe linen in Scabal on Savil Row. Our Northampton workshop have been developing the patterns; and here is the latest version; almost perfect. In some ways linen is the perfect fabric to use on a summer shoe as it is lightweight and breathable; however due to its weight properties it is also very difficult to control!

We have experimented with how to strengthen the linen for footwear use and here you can see we finally backed the fabric with soft Italian calf lining. The calf not only adds consistency to the fabric; it  minimises wrinkling and tearing when the shoes are lasted. To prevent fraying we hand-folded the edges and added a flat-edged tan piping; known as slip-beading. This little flash of leather highlights the lines of the shoe and breaks up what would otherwise be a large expanse of stripe!

-Annejkh

  This week we should be receiving the final version of next month's Shoe of the Month from our Italian and English factories and the Design Department is pretty excited! The English shoe is a new style to the Lodger collection; a Dress Oxford in beautiful burnished Toffee Calf with velvety Chocolate Suede facing and collar. I've included a picture showing a 'work in progress' sample with the brogue medallion I designed specifically for this style drawn onto the toe. Hope you like it!

-Annejkh