Wednesday 7 October 2009

Bowing before the feet of the Afro Punks

Casely-Hayford's Kings of the Kings Land.

Soon after the day itself I mentioned, that nothing represented the diversity of menswear design talent in the capital more than Fashion East's Menswear installations. As I stalked through room after room and looked in each nook and cranny I entountered many reasons to be excited. One of the real highlights was Casely-Hayford's collection entitled Kings of the Kings Land. For SS10 the design duo took inspiration from the Kingland Road area of London where their studio is based. A seemingly unique and uncoventional corner of the city where original EastEnders co-exist with the more recently landed public school boys. This incongruous social mix conjures up a rich sartorial vocabulary which the Casely-Hayford's have used to create a new English style.

A first look at Casely-Hayford's SS10 shoes...I want them all!

Inspired by the raw energy of Kingsland Road, the collection represents a new style tribe, the Afro Punk. One of the main recurring themes of the Casely-Hayford brand is the fusion of classic, English sartorialism and British anarchy. In previous collections this manifested itself in a wonderful balance of formal tailoring and sportswear but for SS10, instead relaxed tailoring sits extremely well with tribal, handcrafted ornate embellishment. This was no more apparent than in the footwear. I left the menswear day inspired by what I had seen but was impatient to learn more about the collection and in particular the shoes...my wait is now over as the chaps sent through their SS10 accessories look book this evening.

The Quilted Albert slipper

The quilted Albert slipper is something of Casely-Hayford signature piece (00o00 was certainly excited back in May) and echoes the brand's philosophy perfectly. The Albert is the generic name given to these slippers which were made famous by Queen Victoria's husband Prince Albert.

The Allotment Creeper

The statement shoe of this season, the "Allotment Creeper", combines elements from traditional English sandals worn by allotment keepers between the 30's and 60's with the Classic Brothel Creeper. The wonderfully named, brothel creeper was originally worn during the second world war in the north African desert by the English army. When the troops returned to England, the shoes were adopted by the dominant youth cult of the time - Teddy boys and then at a later stage punks. Casely-Hayford have evolved this style symbol to represent the new youth cult and subculture of their Spring Summer 10 collection - "Afro punks". The fusion of punk subculture with traditional sandals worn by English gardeners reflects the brand DNA of English sartorialism and British anarchy.

The Ottoman

Influenced by Turkish embroidery seen on East London's Kingsland Road, the Casely-Hayford "Ottoman" combines the delicacy of Turkish embroidery with the sturdiness of a Goodyear Welt to create an elegant summer shoe which retains a rigid masculine form. This style is based on the classic English brogue, but with the ornate scroll work of Ottoman embroidery and the unstained Sole unit, the English classic is given a new context and meaning.

If I'm honest I don't think anyone would consider me to be an afro punk...but...I want to atleast wear their shoes...It is time to bow before the feet of the Kings of Kings Land.

16 comments:

J said...

Wow!!! The allotment creepers are just what I've been looking for. AMAZING!

Colin Chapman said...

I want them all too - with the exception of the allotment creeper.

The studded brogues they have at Dover St Market right now are also very covetable.

Style Salvage Steve said...

J: Glad I could be of some use. I've never seen anything quite like them and I'm glad you like.
Colin Chapman: Ha. I thought they'd divide opinion. Are you sure the studded brougues are from Casely-Hayford? If they are, I've not seen them and will swing by when I get a chance.

whats-he-wearing.com said...

the quilted slippers/loafers looks amazing, i love it!

Giancinephile said...

I seriously want them all but my favourite would have to be the Creepers. It is highly favourable for individuals like me who are a bit on the vertically challenged side! haha

John said...

Those quilted slippers are amazing. The more I learn about Prince Albert, the more I think he must've been one stylish chap. How about dedicating a post to him?

Colin Chapman said...

Hey Steve, yes the studded brogues are definitely Casely H. I was sorely tempted. They're much more subtle - small, rounded studs - than the Prada potential-offensive-weapon version!

My problem with the creepers is a)they look like girls platforms b)clompiness is my worst feature in any shoe

Colin

Style Salvage Steve said...

00o00: I knew you'd love them! Have you picked up the AW09 pair yet?
Giancinephile: I can certainly see you rocking a pair!
John: You might be on to something there...keep your eyes peeled.
Colin: Oh in that case I will have to pay DSM a visit after work. I can't believe I missed them when I was last there. I agree that the Prada ones were a little too much so the Casely-Hayford pair could be ideal. As for the creepers, I have found myself warming to clompiness recently but am yet to actually wear a pair just yet. That said, I'd still prefer the quilted slippers out of the selection here. Those are some sexy shoes!

Anonymous said...

Daaaaaaamn.

Imelda Matt - The Despotic Queen of Shoes said...

I assume these are in the same price bracket as Mr.Hare?

Style Salvage Steve said...

Anonymous: Indeed!
Imedla Matt: Yes, I'm afraid so! More a look but don't touch kind of price. The AW09 quilted slip ons are currently on sale for £365.

Candice DeVille said...

I adore those quilted slippers... and would love a man who could wear them! They have such a gentle, mailable vibe to them. Divine.

TheSundayBest said...

Must become a millionaire and purchase said slippers...

agree with previous commenter on clumpiness being the death of a shoe.

Style Salvage Steve said...

Super Kawaii Mama: I think I'd love the man who wore. I want to be said man though...
TheSundayBest: One day Thomas..one day.

Clare said...

I really love the quilted slippers (the leather looks ridiculously soft!) but I think my favourites are the embroidered brogues... I like the combination of cultural influences in them. I always love to see new twists on the classic brogue.

AMIT said...

You have given very good details about the outfits.

Bouquet Sauvage Collection

LinkWithin

Related Posts with Thumbnails