Brit on Brit: Paul Smith and John Lobb

If Summer 2010 was all about denim on denim, Fall 2012′s big new thing is British on British – design houses, we mean. Paul Smith sale  and John Lobb have announced a collaboration that will see the two brands join their expertise in design and craftsmanship to create limited edition shoes.

 

The most intriguing part about this “marriage” of brands is the apparent clash between design philosophies adhered to by each label. John Lobb is all about the moneyed, old-world look while Paul Smith uk thrives in bold, adventurous creations, both in cut and colour. What in the world would the final product look like?

Well, the collaboration has already made its debut on the Paris catwalk at the Paul Smith bags  Spring Summer 2013 show on July 1st and will be available worldwide from John Lobb stores and selected Paul Smith shops from September 2012.

The press statement says, “For act one of this new partnership, Paul Smith wallets brings a punctuation of colour, somewhat a signature of his, to three iconic John Lobb styles, selected for both their heritage and contemporary appeal. Rather than changing the fundamentals of these fine shoes, the addition of colour respects the original understated style yet brings new life and just the right amount of fun. In menswear, a little tweak goes a long way.”

In short, all Paul Smith did to John Lobb’s shoes were do them in a bright colour that falls within the PS rainbow. This is the reason why we now have regal purple Willoughby oxfords bearing John Lobb’s signature. Yay or nay? We would pass and stick to either Paul Smith cufflinks  or John Lobb, but we’re sure there’s someone out there who would appreciate questionably-hued loafers.