Florence: Day 2 Snaps

01

Images

—01. Classic footwear enthusiasts.

Words

It's been a busy and productive trip to Florence so far. While it's almost over now, we've got another handful of meetings and collections to buy on our last day at Pitti. The show hasn't disappointed thus far, and we've managed to cook up some interesting special products as well that should be exciting to see next spring.

Comments

[Brian Braddock]

It looks a bit boring to me. I'd rather go to the Uffizi.

[Chris]

Great snaps. No it sounds sad but the jeans-wearer in the first pic looks like he has optimum, fit, fade and roll on those denims, even with a thigh-down view. Hey - if I wasn't anal about clothes, I wouldn't be here.

[Kaz]

What brand is that in the tenth picture, giving a cheeky sign off to what appears to be the sole of a shoe/boot?

[Miguel Ramalhão]

Although color is everywhere in Florence, I love these B&W pics..
Great job...

[kpr]

@ Kaz: That's part of the new shoe collection by Mark McNairy (the glasses clad man in the 6th photo)

[Max King]

Kaz, that is Mark McNairy

[Matthew. Murphy]

Nigel Cabourn!

[Sorrybut]

engraving fuck off on a sole is a pretty corny idea

[lazarus]

All these "what are those "comments and who is that guys is very sad.

[Headless Hawk]

No, silly, they're by Mark McNairy, weren't you paying attention? It's not corny, it's subversive.

[peter]

Its not subversive---its infantile.

[MA]

I feel like McNairy is taking passé ideas from Supreme and revisiting them hoping for relevancy and newness. Pretty damn corny indeed...

[jaws da jormungand]

completely agree, hes trying to rebel against the upper class nature of this kind of clothing which is good, but it would have been nice for it to have been something more creative than fuck off. i mean, i know he knows those supreme dudes, try a little fuckin harder.

[Sorrybut]

It something even Ed hardy would find corny.

[Ryan Willms]

The only thing corny around here is these comments. Can't you guys (obviously not referring to everyone) come up with something interesting or insightful to say?

McNairy has had a huge impact in the last couple of years, whether you like it or not. He's not hoping to become relevant - he is very relevant.

You sound like children complaining about product you've never seen and from a designer you probably don't understand. You don't have to like it, but you can take more than 3 seconds to think about what you say in the comments section.

[Vin]

okay... so first pic, print shorts and desert boots caught my eye. other guy with the pin rolled denim has a great fit on em, is he in desert boots too?
what are those?!?!

[jaws da jormungand]

im personally a huge fan of mark mcnairy,and i usually like the small twists he puts on classic menswear. i just think this is a miss cause it's trying to hard. i dont think this collection is subversive or hard to understand though, its shoes, not a tarkovsky flick or some shit.

[jon]

at a guess i'd say those nicely worn in jeans are mr Roe's? and at an even more slightly anal guess id go for 1966 501's?

[Simon Roe]

^Hahaha! Close... They're actually 1944s.

And Vin, yes they are desert boots; Clarks desert boots in Cola suede.

[Headless Hawk]

Ryan, is this space for comments or not? You're doing your readers a disservice if you think they don't understand this level of design. We don't doubt that he's influential, I just suspect it's more of an industry thing. Or maybe a personal style thing? What else do we, as consumers, have to go on other than the shoes with Sanders or his New Amsterdam stuff? Is it a good thing that his design divides opinion? Because there's a lot of very safe clothing out there at the moment from what I saw at Pitti. If you want to talk about it then let's talk about it!

What differentiates readers of inventory from other areas of fashion is, I hope, an appreciation of quality, authenticity and an idea about ongoing refinement that sits outside of the endless novelty of the catwalk. From where I'm sitting all I can see is a load of hype and a guy that wouldn't be even half as well known if it wasn't for the endless regurgitation of the internet (though the same can be said for a lot of people at the moment). Having said that, I for one was pleasantly surprised by his/their SS12 collection. It's much better than the comments on your WWM post would suggest. It's different enough from Suzuki's work to stand on its own, but similar enough to develop the continuity of the brand.

People find the inanity of carving of 'Fuck Off' on the underside of a shoe puerile, so what? What exactly have we missed? The comments here aren't even strongly worded. Would you prefer we just sit back like a bunch of adoring sycophants? And anyway, the shoe is positively asking for it.

[Ben]

I like the Fuck Off on the sole, it's not like it's going to be seen by loads of people and I get a little kick out of small details like that which most people are unaware of, like nipple clamps under a shirt and tie...

[peter]

''From a designer you dont understand'----pretentious twaddle Ryan.