Armando Cabral
Today is officially the first day of Spring, a day that is beautifully bright and sunny but still with a crisp freshness in the air, however you can not escape that wonderful sense of renewal; colours seem sharper and there is a lightness to everything. Speaking of colours a range of suede loafers by model-turned-footwear designer Armando Cabral stylishly capture the essence of spring...aren't the shades just gorgeous...and they look so soft.

A lifelong passion for shoes, combined with a decade long career as an international model, an academic background in business and an eye for luxury led Armando to create a range of classically styled shoes that embody sophisticated dressing for the modern man. Born in Guinea-Bissau Armando grew up in Lisbon, Portugal and launched his eponymous label in 2009 upon relocating to New York City. Reflective of his personal style developed throughout his modelling career, the resulting shoe designs bring together Armando's personal tastes and modern metropolitan lifestyle; capturing personality, style, quality and individualism.

Armando Cabral epitomises modern takes on classic mens footwear with an international appeal, styles range from casual to smart comprising elegant dress shoes to contemporary takes on the sneaker. The spring/summer 2012 collection also brings some colourful sandals in addition to the loafers. The shoes are manufactured in Italy by master shoemakers and are designed not only to look good on the outside but also be comfortable to wear.

...footwear for the modern man about town

FIGS
Attending an all girl’s school, my senior school uniform was not the most attractive thing, well at least until I entered sixth form. In the summer terms it was a short-sleeved belted green and white check affair that was far from figure flattering, improving in the winter term when it changed to a bottle green tunic and a khaki long sleeved blouse complete with tie, both styles would be topped off with bottle green cardigans or pullovers. Sixth form brought a much more smarter grown up look in bottle green a-line skirts, khaki short and long sleeved blouses which we were allowed to wear with stockings and dark brown high-heeled court shoes when representing the school; the perks of finally having reached the top of the school chain. We felt grown and it showed in our attitudes holding ourselves that bit taller wherever we went. Donned with a bottle green blazer these uniforms instilled in us a sense of pride and belonging to the school whether or not we realised it at the time. FIGS is a luxury neckwear label that recognises the role school uniforms have in the educational experience and partners with local weavers and tailors around the world in making school uniforms for the students in their local communities for whom buying a uniform would be difficult but is often a requirement of attending school.

FIGS stands for 'Fashion Inspired Global Sophistication' and was set up in 2010 by American social entrepreneur, Heather Hasson who was inspired by a love of fashion and her travels from Northern Kenya to Rome. Using high quality silks, woollens, linens, cashmeres and cottons; Heather developed a stylish collection of tailored ties and bow ties in quirky and classic prints and colour schemes, that are hand sewn in New York and Los Angeles.

FIGS is a business with a global outlook and brings together a community of artists, entrepreneurs, students and professionals who are looking to make a positive impact. Setting up an initiative called ‘Threads for Threads’ FIGS currently partners with 105 schools in Kenya, Tanzania and Nepal; and with every product sold donates an entire school uniform to a child who needs to go to school. FIGS also have a range of luxuriously soft cashmere scarves made from natural un-dyed fibres.

...helping you take pride in your appearance no matter where you are or what you do

Casely-Hayford
A few weeks ago I engaged in a lively debate with some family members; we were discussing Zimbabwean businesses and what it takes to establish lasting legacies known all over the world for quality, service and craftsmanship; that not only the business but the country as a whole could be proud of; a debate that can easily extend to African businesses across the continent. Lasting legacies are something you see all the time with British heritage brands like Burberry and Mulberry, the former dating back over a hundred years, and the French couture houses. I'm not saying legacies in Africa don't exist, quite the opposite in that some go back thousands of years; the difference I think is that they have tended to be verbal passed down the generations through storytelling, and physical through the passing down of skills; the danger with this is that should a generation lose interest that legacy then ceases and some of the 'story' gets lost along the way. However in today’s digital age recording and maintaining legacies for future generations has become somewhat easier. Back to my debate, things got heated but in the process raised some interesting questions/issues that I am still continuing to mull over, and for what ever reason the British Menswear label Casely-Hayford keeps springing to mind as a fine example of a legacy in motion.

Casely-Hayford was formed in 2007 when fashion designer/tailor Joe Casely-Hayford teamed up with his son Charlie, to create a line of menswear based on the philosophy that all men possess a degree of anarchy within their character; anarchy in the sense of independence rather than a total disregard for the rules, and the brand reflects this through their designs which fuse a carefree spirit with the meticulous tradition of classic men’s tailoring. The first Casely-Hayford collection launched in Spring/Summer 2009. Founded on two simple phrases ‘English Sartorialism’ and ‘British Anarchy’, Casely-Hayford is at once unconventional and classic British; and although a pioneering British brand, the label can trace its roots back to Ghana. Joe Casely-Hayford was named after his grandfather, J. E. Casely-Hayford; an eminent Ghanaian lawyer and Statesmen whose novel ‘Ethiopia Unbound’ written in 1911 was said to have greatly influenced Pan-African politics and the leading civil rights activists of the time. The careers may be different but the pioneering spirit cannot be denied.

Casely-Hayford’s philosophy is also one of craftsmanship, present at every stage of the design and production process utilised through the skills of Master craftsmen. Savile Row tailoring methods are employed drawing on the heritage of the institution. Throughout his career Joe Casely-Hayford has always sought to combine innovation with tradition and since the early eighties has designed men and women’s wear collections through an eponymous fashion label and dressed some of the biggest bands in the world. Joe became the first designer to design for TopShop in 1993 and has also been involved in the educational side of the fashion industry. For three years, 2005-2008, Joe was the Creative Director of Gieves and Hawkes; a Savile Row house with a 200-year history; and was instrumental in repositioning the brand for the 21st century. More recently Joe has created an exclusive collection for John Lewis UK entitled, Joe Casely-Hayford for John Lewis. Following in his father’s footsteps Charlie Casely-Hayford started out by making his mark on the London creative scene through stints at places like i-D magazine and Creative Review, but it was during his late teens when he got to undertake an intensive apprenticeship at his father’s studio, learning the craft and what goes into building a brand that the groundwork for the beings of a unique father and son legacy was laid. Together through their mix of sportswear and tailoring Casely-Hayford is leading the way in modern British style.

...The Casely-Hayford man exudes understated-elegance and quiet confidence, with a very quirky dose of free-spiritedness


Additional information sourced from: www.iqons.com

Oliberté
'...we never have and still don't see an Africa that's categorised by negative generalisations' one company's response to an oft asked question as to why anyone would ever consider trying to establish and run a successful business in Africa. Well footwear brand Oliberté, the company in question is attempting to do just that and are in good company if some of the inspirational and pioneering African businesses I have shared are anything to go by. Canadian social entrepreneur, Tal Dehtiar established Oliberté two years ago amidst the challenges of finding financial backers willing to help him realise his vision.

Profiled on CNN in February 2011, the footwear manufacturer presently operates in Ethiopia, Liberia and Kenya; and has set itself the goal of creating a successful premium footwear brand; one that will not only create thousands of jobs by tapping into Africa's growing middle-class - an acknowledgment of the widely accepted view that a thriving middle-class is a key component to the success of any country - but also one that will serve to encourage other businesses to do work across the continent. Cameroon, Congo, Uganda and Zambia are in the company's sights to expand into over the next few years as more factory and supplier partners are sought.

To achieve their goal Oliberté partners with carefully selected factories, suppliers, farmers and workers and embodies the values of: playing fair towards all those they work with, ensuring that they comply with Oliberté's standards and policies, demonstrating respect and equity for all in the workplace - in all factories women make up 50% of the workforce, filling junior and senior positions. Oliberté's  values also include being mindful of the impact on the environment through waste reduction and various recycling initiatives, for example if you can't reuse or recycle your unwanted Oliberté shoes send them back to the company who will gladly recycle them on you behalf; and lastly quality through the materials and production techniques used.

Oliberté's range of classic casual shoes and trendy trainers come in collections for both men and women and are made from hand-picked leathers, goat skin lining that helps the skin breathe naturally and natural rubber crepe soles tapped straight from rubber trees, minimising the use the of toxic equipment and chemicals. Relying on craftmanship the shoes are hand stitched or hand guided on machines to maintain the personal touch and can average 1000 stitches per shoe. 

The leather looks incredibly soft and supple with colour ranges coming in standard black and brown complimented by vibrant reds, soft grey-blues, beiges and greens to name a few.

... may just be the thing to spoil your Dad with this Father's Day.

Buki Akib
Richly hued colour, clashing pattern and texture you can’t help but want to reach out and run you hands against, signal the energetic vibrancy of knitwear label Buki Akib.

A graduate of Central Saint Martin’s, highly experimental designer Buki Agbakiaka’s work is bold, unique and extravagant. Her recent menswear capsule collection entitled ‘FELA’ was inspired by the pulsating rhythm of the Afro Beat movement, taking the viewer back to a decadent 1970’s Lagos music scene dominated by the pioneering musician Fela Kuti. Fela Kuti’s legendary style was distinctive and heralded a new era of showmanship in the West and Pan-Africa music scene.

Highly innovative the ‘FELA’ collection captures a moment in time, drawing on the past to fashion the future and portrays the influence Buki’s Nigerian heritage plays within her creative process. ‘FELA’ is the visual expression of the effect the music had on Buki whilst conducting her research into the genre… and Fela Kuti’s influence is everywhere; from the colour palettes interspersed with shiny lurex, the eclectic mix of textures; to the style of the clothing in bold high waisted trousers, flamboyant tasseled jackets and knitted swimming trunks.

Buki's style combs traditional knitting methods with African fabrics to create new, luxurious fabrics and sees her trademark of experimenting with creating three-dimensional patterns, by wrapping viscose yarns onto silk and cotton yarn. 

... An unapologetic style, 'FELA' celebrates a personality and the excitement of life. 

Missibaba
Granted when it comes to women’s footwear there is so much more to choose from than men’s, and with the mercury rising as summer approaches people will be looking towards a more relaxed laidback approach, especially if lucky enough to go on holiday. So if you are a guy shopping for yourself or a woman looking to spoil your man, then Missibaba is branching into men’s accessories with a new range of men’s sandals, perfect for the lazy summer days ahead, that I spotted on the blog, Man of the Cloth.

With all the signature hallmarks of Missibaba’s style, the sandals are made of leather with yellow suede inners and come in colours ways of charcoal or pale camel and charcoal. There is also a more colourful pair of Espisands sandals in pale camel and grey/blue leather with bold red and blue zigzag sides also in leather. Available in sizes 7(42)-11(46), the sandals are made-to-order via the Missibaba website and if you need some cues on how to wear them, then look to menswear designer Stiaan Louw’s recent fashion show where models wore the sandals to accessorize the collection... very nice! 

To find out more about Missibaba refer to a previous on their other accessories here.

…they look super comfy too…

Roubi L’Roubi
Drawn to the precision of haute couture and tailoring via a background in mechanical engineering, fashion designer Roubi L'Roubi came to the UK from Sudan in the early 1980’s and after a stint with Joseph and a partnership with designer Tomasz Starzewski, launched his own label Roubi L’Roubi in 2004. 

As the designer of choice for a discerning private and high profile clientele, Roubi L’Roubi initially began by creating bespoke eveningwear for women, eventually moving on to including bespoke menswear following a demand for the service. Sharp tailoring with a modern sensibility is where Roubi is at his consummate best, reflecting the typical client who wears his clothes; whom he defines as strong, independent decision-makers. 

Designs combine elegant tailoring with a flair for the dramatic, classic designs reinvented through rich detailing and luxury fabrics. Roubi’s women’s eveingwear creations are soft and sensual, gracefully accentuating the curves of body. Strong Edwardian influences can often be seen throughout his menswear creations where his suits are cut to flatter the body, and benefit from pure silk linings. A love of music has led to to commissions from orchestras and ecclesiastical bodies; and more recently Roubi L’Roubi has established itself firmly with the country set bringing a new approach to traditional heritage looks. 

Roubi L’Roubi is celebrated as a new breed of Savile Row tailor bringing his own brand of contemporary glamour to classic tailoring and catering to modern demands for a softer, more relaxed approach to traditional menswear. 

Additional Details:
For further information visit: www.roubi.eu

Ozwald Boateng
A well-dressed man in a sharply tailored suit is usually a sight to behold and this area is the forte of Savile Row tailor Ozwald Boateng, who knows all to well the power of sharp tailoring and attention to detail and is widely credited with introducing Savile Row tailoring to a new generation. 

With Boateng’s designs exuding confidence and individualism, defined by his signature use of colour which brings a contemporary feel to classic tailoring, 2010 sees Ozwald Boateng celebrate 25 years in the fashion business and for a glimpse into the man behind the label October 2010 also sees the world premiere of ‘A Man’s Story’ an autobiographical film documenting Ozwald Boateng’s journey through over the past 12 years, with a wider release in 2011. Ozwald Boateng is no stranger to filmmaking having produced a number of films over the years serving as an introduction to the background and inspiration of his collections. 

As an advocate to changing the perceptions of Africa, Ozwald Boateng endeavours include launching his Made in Africa trust pioneering innovative and sustainable projects across Africa.


Additional Details:
Price: a handmade two-piece bespoke suit can come to around £2,200+ 
For more on Ozwald Boateng visit: www.ozwaldboateng.co.uk
Orders take approx our to six weeks