There is no doubt that the influence of sportswear on fashion
has continued fervently in recent years especially after the successful London
Summer Olympics in 2012 that has since garnered a lot of popularity and interests from
consumers and designers alike, in terms of reconciling lifestyle trends with
practical everyday wear.
One of the most dynamic developments in this trend has been
the emergence of sports footwear as our everyday wardrobe staples.
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| Trainer embroidered with white polka dots on black calf leather from Dior Homme. Photo supplied by Cuir a Paris. |
While the trend for pairing trainers with city wear had
emerged as a popular trend in the 1990s, the current outing has been embraced
by leading fashion designer brands as well which have included creative sports
shoes in their new footwear collections.
They are using leather as a sign for quality, used all over or in
combination with technical materials, and often are decorated with
embellishments.
From the house of Dior Homme, Kris van Assche sprinkles
embroidered white polka dots on black calf leather. At Valentino, Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier
Paolo Piccioli mix smooth calf, calf suede, leopard print hair-on calf and
technical canvas with a savvy dose of textures and colours. Karl Lagerfeld draws on the signature Chanel
style with models in leather and tweed.
Sometimes he even extends the upper to create veritable ‘seven league’
boots. And Nicolas Ghesquière for Louis
Vuitton, who is known for his love of sport, did not need to be asked twice to
design dynamic and sophisticated models where monogrammed suede rubs shoulders
with patent calf.
At the September CUIR A PARIS leather materials trade show
(which was one of the events held as part of Premiere Vision Paris), new trends
for leather and fur highlighted the importance of innovation for the luxury
sector.
According to organisers, tannery suppliers to the sector are regularly requested to develop new materials, sometimes in
very limited editions. “Demands for small production runs from luxury labels
are becoming more and more frequent...they demonstrate the trust our clients
have in us,” comments Enrico Chiesa from the Italian tannery Italhide.
Tanneries Roux are also often faced with this, "like all tanneries these
days", explains Alain Hustache, “for restocking, for slight modifications
or for a special order." “Increasingly often, labels are offering to make
bespoke items for their VIP customers, in the colours of their choice,” explains
Jean-Charles Duchene of Mégisserie Alric. "The leading fashion houses need
some skins to produce prototypes for their catwalk shows,” adds Michael Perez,
the managing director of France Croco.
To meet these recurring requests, tanneries reorganise their
workload “by assigning the limited production run to a specific employee,"
explains Enrico Chiesa, or by “allocating the small drums to these limited
production runs,” explains Jean-Charles Duchene. “In this way, we are able to
deliver the items within two weeks, if the request is for a special finish, or
in a just a few days for a new colour.” Some deadlines cannot be shortened,
however, particularly for crocodile skins “where some patinas require four or
five hours of work per skin,” explains Michael Perez. “However, these
conditions can also have an impact on quality, which can vary, unlike the mass
production of skins in large drums," warns the industry professional from
Tanneries Roux.
Meanwhile ...
Among the most popular footwear brands for the trendy set today is Converse which is renowned for their All Star high-top canvas trainers with a distinctive star logo on the ankle. However if you do go for their distinctive look, do ensure that it is the real McCoy.
Last week, Converse decided to go after copycats and filed 20 different lawsuits at a New York court against 31 companies for alleged infringing on its iconic Chuck Taylor shoe trademark in regards to their legendary All Star design and the diamond pattern on the bottom of the sole.
The list of companies which are being sued includes many well-known brands and retailers alike:- Skechers, Ralph Lauren, Ed Hardy, Fila, K-Mart, Wal-Mart and others.
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