English shoemaker John Lobb has a new flagship shop for Hong Kong at Landmark Prince’s in Central.
Guests at the opening were able to meet with the house’s artisan and learn about the brand’s shoemaking traditions.
Artistic director and bespoke artisan Paula Gerbase says womenswear and menswear are quite similar.
“You start with leathers, raw materials and photograph a lot. I take a lot of nature photos and show them to the leather specialist, then we work on the colour, the tone and the texture. The collection develops from there, and I start to think about which shapes would suit that particular leather. So the approach is quite similar in this sense. But looking at the archives, drawing and details – women’s shoes are more playful.”
Gerbase says John Lobb is uncompromising when it comes to leather – “There’s a sense of pride in our house that honours our artisans,” she tells Style.
While working with artisans does inspire her designs “it’s not really work: it is a dialogue”.
For Hong Kong, John Lobb has introduced bespoke services in the new flagship.
As well as men’s and women’s ready-to-wear, casual and formal, customers’ measurements are taken as well as their choice of leather, the sole, the colour, the fit and the size.
