Brisbane Times: Best Chrissie gift is a pair of Vein boots

As featured on Brisbane Times, a pair of Vein boots really are an awesome gift.  I know I'd like to receive a pair :)  We do have Gift Vouchers at the Vein Store if you are really unsure what style or size to give.  And since it's 2:30pm on Christmas Eve, I'm guessing you are the unsure type.

Have a great Christmas everyone!  We will be closed on Dec 25, 26, 27, 28 and New Year's Day.  Thank you for all your support this year and thank you for looking so damn good!

Imelda says, "C'MON AUSSIE!"

"The good folks from Vein Wear have just reminded the Despotic Queen that my beloved Imeldette’s have only four weeks before the Vein Wear Footwear Competition closes.

I was surprised at how few of the submissions (like only one) came from local talent…srsly bitches, bust-open your Crayola 12-pack and start scratching out some haute men’s footwear…the pride of a nation rests on your sunburnt shoulders!"

http://www.imelda.com.au/well_shod_well_imformed/2009/12/cmon-aussie.html

Entry 8: G-Tanna Boots by Adrian Castro (Spain)

The G-Tanna boot designed in leather and fabric technique.

Sophisticated and aesthetic, with strong cultural connotations of Gypsies (GITANA) of Spain.

Wear with: black or white shirt, black jacket, worn jeans, a nice watch and... G-TANNA Boots by Vein.

FTV Diamond Model Winner Lucy McIntosh with Sergej Aracaba for X&Y Magazine

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

City News: Feeling Rather Down At Heel

BRISBANE: A leading Brisbane men’s shoe designer is facing a David Vs Goliath battle after a Melbourne-based retailer allegedly knocked off one of his most popular boot designs.

Chris McCallum, owner/designer of Vein Wear shoes in the TCB Centre, Fortitude Valley claims the rival retailer has previously copied his shoe designs, but the latest knock-off was so blatant he was prompted to speak out.

“I was very upset when I saw it,” Mr McCallum said. “Our hand-made laser-cut Vein Wear floral motif has been replicated on the rival store’s shoe. It is very unique to our brand.

“They have no shame. They knock off all the big sellers and take none of the risk. They are basically vultures who cherry-pick your best work.”

The designer also said he was certain his larger rival copied his boot design, which he created in January 2008. The rival shoe was released in September, 2009.

Mr McCallum, who will open a second store in the city’s Brisbane Arcade early next year, said his phone calls to the rival store owner had gone unanswered.

He said he could not afford to sue the rival or register each of his designs with Federal Government body Intellectual Property (IP) Australia.

“I can’t meet the huge expense of registering each of our designs before we sell them,” he said. “We have so many designs on the go about 60 in all and are constantly creating new ones each week to keep things fresh and edgy.

“Basically, the smaller designer does lots of great original work but loses out.”

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Festival Brisbane director Lindsay Bennett said it was very hard for young emerging designers to avoid being ripped off.

“It’s incredibly challenging, even down to the point of safeguarding prints,” Mr Bennett said. “Young emerging designers simply can’t afford to register their designs to put safeguards in place to protect their intellectual property.

“Many national brands rip off each other so it’s very challenging on a local level in terms of protecting designs.”

Mr Bennett said there was a fine line between copying or “enhancing” a design.

“A point in case is the Vein Wear example,” he said. “Those two boots are still slightly different, so the larger designer can get away with the knock-off.”

Source:
http://city-news.whereilive.com.au/news/story/feeling-rather-down-at-heel/

Map Magazine: Brisbane >> Talent

Map Magazine Article Text:

High-profile fashion designers often wait years before they design a pair of shoes. Open to local, national and international fashion, graphic-design students and footwear fanatics from the general public, Vein Wear Footwear in TCB is offering you the chance to design your own pair of shoes. You have from now until January 13, 2010, to put forward your men's shoe-design submission(s) via email, post or in person at Vein Wear's boutique. All designs must be based on one of the nine templates shown on the Vein Wear blog. The finalists will have their designs professionally produced and judged by an expert panel.

@ http://veincomp.blogspot.com

City News: No mean feat

Article Text:

No Mean Feat

TIME is running out to enter the 2010 Vein Wear Footwear Competition.


The men's shoe design competition invites fashion students and shoe fanatics to have a crack by January 13. Vein Wear owner Chris McCallum (pictured) said three finalists would be judged by Men's Style Australia editor Peter Holder and Mercedes-Benz Fashion Festival Brisbane director Lindsay Bennett.


The winner will be announced on February 24 [now March 3] and receive a pair of shoes made to their own design. Shoes will be sold in the shop and online.


Phone (07) 3357 4558.

Style Magazine - it's a shoe-in

THINK YOU CAN design some killer kicks for guys? Brisbane-based Vein Wear footwear wants to see your fancy footwork for a chance to have your shoe produced by Vein Wear's master cobblers. Vein Wear designer/owner Chris McCallum is looking for shoe designs that reflect current men's footwear fashion trends. "We're looking for a men's shoe with a consumer focus - something female designers would like to see guys wearing around town or something male designers would like to wear themselves," he explains. Entrants can submit up to three designs and entries close January 13, 2010. See online for competition guidelines and step on it!

VEINCOMP.BLOGSPOT.COM

New Entries: Men's Shoe Design Competition

There are 4 weeks left to get your entries in for the Vein Wear Men's Shoe Design Competition. Everyone loves a dead-line for motivation. So hurry!

This week's entries are so good they are a little scary. They come from Spanish designer Adrian Castro, Argentina-born Spanish citizen and currently reside in the city of Barcelona.

Adrian is 42, an industrial designer and graphic designer, and he specializes in designing men's fashion accessories: watches, shoes, belts, jeans, wallets, purses, etc..

"My passion is design in all its forms, so I consider myself a multidisciplinary designer, both graphic and industrial." Adrian Castro.

Ecco Men's Pacer Tie Oxford

• leather
• Manmade sole
• Leather upper
• Direct-inject PU sole that are durable and long lasting
• Lightweight and flexible sole for comfortable walking
• Partially leather lined
• Removable ECCO comfort fiber insole that wicks away moisture

Pace yourself because this casual shoe from ECCO Mens Shoes has all the right moves to keep you in comfort all through your busy day with the padded linings. The smooth leather upper lends sophistication to this low profile, and the lace-up front keep an element of tradition to its cool overlay design.

A Letter From Jessie

Hi Chris,


How are you? I hope that you are well.

I've recently read the article in City news regarding the label in Melbourne who has taken it upon themselves to blatantly steal your shoe designs... especially the floral motif!

It's awful to see someone such as yourself strive to create a unique and beautiful product and have someone come along and make money from your hard work. I work with alot of designers and know how heartbreaking this must be!

The financial outlay required to dispute this is massive, but good on you for using media and speaking out against them - it's so wrong!

You unfortunately can't really stop them from doing this to your label but hopefully the media attention garnered will help to educate consumers as to what their buying into and stop them purchasing that brand!

Good Luck Chris! Hope it all turns out well! :-)

Kindest Regards

Jessie Larcombe

FASHION PR

07 3214 6812

www.jessellepr.com

Fashion Needs a Ref, a Whistle and some Red Cards

I was invited to the TCF Council workshop this week to give my opinion regarding what the Federal Government should do to help the Australian Textile, Clothing, Footwear and Leather industries. Industries that are clearly struggling, judging by the looks on the faces of the industry participants on the day.


In the room were mostly Australian manufacturers. And there were a lot of entitled suggestions, and Chindia bashing. From that position quite a few of the suggestions were "push" based suggestions. Like we should get more government funding, the government should buy from us, universities should offer more training courses, we should stop all imports, and we should stop immigration (this suggestion ironically from a woman with a thick foreign accent). The idea being that Australian manufacturers should be supported by the people and the people can be forced to buy Australian made. All of which would be futile exercises.

Fortunately the majority of participants realise that we need to trade with other countries. At the suggestion that we should stop imports, one sage manufacturer pointed out that you won't feel so good about that policy when you want to export. And on the macro level it is important that our trade balance be positive. The majority of participants were passionate about their work and just wanted a fair go to compete.

Of the more promising tactics were the "pull" based suggestions. Ideas to increase consumer demand for our products. These ideas included promoting Brand Australia and the standardisation and certification of products and the enforcement of such rules.

Of these two ideas I am a fan of greater standardisation and certification of products offered for sale. It is something that a government can do and can do well. I don't know if they can create a brand so well.

In the retail market there are currently very few meaningful or enforced standards and certification of products relating to quality, social responsibility, environmental sustainability, etc. As a result, no one knows what they are really buying, is it real leather, where was it made, who made it, are there any harmful chemicals involved, were the makers exploited, was the environment damaged, who designed it. Consumers are also numb to retailers lying to them. They know they can't trust what they are told on the rare occasions they are told.

In the absence of real knowledge, and the absence of a trusted third party keeping everyone honest, the only indicator consumers can use is price. We know price is a poor indicator of any of these things but it is the only one we have. And if we expect to be ripped off anyway, we may as well pay as little as possible. So cheap products prevail, discounting is pandemic and the lowest price wins.

If consumers are mostly going for the product with the lowest price, retailers will give it to them. So they order vast amounts of the cheapest products possible...yes from China and India and Vietnam and Indonesia and anywhere wages are lower than ours. It's not Chindia's fault that our stores are filled with poor quality products from their shores. After all, we ordered it. A lot of those factories, we set up over there. If we order high quality items, they can make those also. But we don't order high priced items, because consumers only buy cheap.

Personally, I don't care where in the world a product is made or what nationality the person making it is...as long as that product is made by a skilled craftsperson, earning a fair wage, in good working conditions, from high quality materials in a way that minimises their impact on the environment and they enjoyed making it.

I like the football (soccer) analogy. It does not matter to me that Manchester United employs players from overseas. It does not matter to me that they often play in foreign countries. The government doesn't need to give them hand outs. The government doesn't need to stifle competition. Man U are free to compete. They must train hard and use all the skill and strategy they can muster to win the match. And I enjoy watching...I am a customer. But there are rules. There are standards. There is certification. The ball must be a certain size. Players are not allowed certain drugs. The field must be a certain length. The cross-bar must be a certain height. You are not allowed to use your hands. You are not allowed to make violent contact. You cannot take the ball outside the field. And there is an enforcer...the referee and his assistants and the fans.

Could Man U prosper if there were no rules? Or no enforcer? Teams would cheat and lie. The worst offenders would prevail. The game would lose meaning. Quickly, consumers would lose interest. The same has happened in Australia's TCF industry. Hence the need for government enforcement of the claims of products.

If the rules are in place and enforced then we can invite customers back to the game. Consumers want to buy well made products, with quality materials, whose workers are happy and not harming the environment. They just don't want to be ripped off again. Presently though, with big retailers and brands legally lying to them, it just isn't possible.

As a frustrated manufacturer at the workshop sighed, "I can compete with any manufacturer in the world and succeed, but only if they tell the truth".

As a consumer, you might be wondering what you can do, if the government does nothing. I suggest you simply ask the retailers. Forget that feeling that says there's no point because the girl in the store won't know anyway. Ask. Who made this item? Was is a craftsman, or a conveyor belt of unskilled workers? What were they paid? How many hours a day do they work? Who is the designer? Etc. If they don't know, assume the worst and purchase some place they know the answers.

[Image from sythe.org - photographer unknown as yet]

ECCO Men's RXP 1660 Running Shoe

• Rubber outsole and compressed filon midsole make this shoe comfortable, supportive and lightweight
• Mesh upper is very breathable
• Strong heel posting make this shoe an excellent choice for pronation or nuetral gate

The ECCO Mens Shoes RXP 1660 Running Shoe offers superior construction and stylish, sporty looks. The lace-up athletic shoe features breathable uppers with reflective, striped overlay for a streamlined appearance and enhanced nighttime visibility. The shoe includes cambrelle lining and a removable cushioned insole; a rubber outsole and compressed filon midsole keep them lightweight and extra-comfortable. Additional, superior comfort is ensured for pronation or a neutral gate with the shoes' strong heel positioning. The shoe also features anatomically tested, high-density, medial midsole posting, as well as a rugged, omni-directional trail sole based on biometric brace tread design. With the superior design and construction that ECCO is known for, your feet will be comfortable and protected.

Australian Footwear Knock Offs are Rife

Footwear blogger Matt Jordan a.k.a. Imelda from www.imelda.com.au found himself on the end of a legal stab when he accused Tony Bianco of doing a one-for-one copy of a Skovgaard shoe. Tony Bianco's lawyers demanded a retraction. Read Imelda's original post here. This is the comparison image:

It is an outragous situation in Australia where a company can legally knock-off an original design and pass it off as their own. It is even more ridiculous when the offending company can sue someone for drawing attention to that fact.

In response to this embarrassing situation where international and local designers are being ruthlessly expoited by Australian shoe retailers and wholesalers, Today Tonight aired the following story.



You can read the full transcript here.

Vein Wear has also fallen victim to having our designs knocked-off many times. It is a situation that is getting worse.  What is really scary and certainly shocking to most consumers is that some big name retailers and labels are selling copied designs.  Consumers would certainly be forgiven for thinking they were actually buying an original design and not a one-for-one copy.

The shoe at the bottom is my original Vein Wear design. When I went to purchase the "Milu" brand shoes below from the Milu store in James Street, the store assistant told me that Andrew Milu was the talented designer. Ah hem...

Below is my original concept sketch:

ECCO Men's Neo Basic Slip-on

• leather
• Rubber sole
• ECCO Men Shoes 48744_00201 NEOBASIC BLACK OIL NUBUCK

Set out on a sightseeing tour in this sporty casual shoeUpper made of oil nubuckTextile liningLeather ECCO Comfort Fiber System insoleDirect-injected, one-component PU light outsole with shock pointSole is light, flexible and extremely shock absorbing

New Entries: Men's Shoe Design Competition

The latest entries in the Vein Wear Men's Shoe Design Competition are from Ahmet Baytar. 

After graduating from Istanbul Anatolian Fine Arts High School, he studied at the Mimar Sinan University in Istanbul. He received his degree in Industrial product design.

Ahmet worked for the biggest shoe company in Turkey, called Hotic, for 6 years as the head shoe and handbag designer.

At the moment he is designing for his own brand, Paristexas by Ahmet Baytar.

Ahmet is solely responsible for the concept behind each seasonal collection. "I put my entire being into each piece", says Ahmet.

"The men’s shoe brands these days are becoming similar when it comes to designing.
As my style, I like to use volumes, extraordinary lines and contrast. I create classic silhouettes, achieved by using pliable leathers, that are manipulated into my designs. I also like to emphasize the natural texture of the leather", says Ahmet.

You can read more about him at www.ahmetbaytar.com.
 
There are 8 weeks left to get your entries in for the competition.  Go, design, now!

Bread Shoes

These bread shoes are hilarious and tasty.  Not recommended for dog owners.  They are by Twin Brothers R & E Praspaliauskas.  Check them at http://www.dadadastudio.eu/.

Ecco Men's Santa Fe Sneaker

• leather
• Rubber sole
• Upper made of suede, washy suede and oil suede
• Leather lining
• CFS provides ideal inner climate for all day comfort
• Style tends to run a size larger

Live it up in Ecco Mens Shoes Santa Fe sneaker. The soft leather upper features sporty lines and grommeted lacing, while textile and leather lining offers breathability and the rubber outsole delivers grip.

Where have all the great shoes gone?

Are you wearing watered down shoes?

Recently quite a few customers in the TCB Vein Store have been saying that there are no good shoes around (except in the Vein Store of course). In the city and the shopping centres all the shoes seem similar, bland, generic and of obviously poor quality. None of the stores anymore are offering interesting, attractive, original, well made shoes in good leathers. Why?

The answer lies in the principle that "Bad money drives out the good". It's a theory illustrated by economics Nobel Prize winner George Akerlof using watered down milk as an example. It's called Gresham's Law, after Sir Thomas Gresham, a sixteen-century merchant who persuaded Queen Elizabeth to restore the debased currency of England.

In the milk example honest, original-design, well crafted, high quality leathered, ethically made shoes are the
pure milk. Knock-off shoes made poorly and cheaply by unskilled workers of inferior and deceptive materials are the watered down milk. To the untrained naked eye, the pure shoes and the watered down shoes may look the same.

Imagine that a litre of high quality milk wholesales for $1.00, and a litre of watered down milk wholesales for
$0.60. An average buyer might willingly pay up to $0.80 for the watered down milk and up to $1.20 for the pure milk. In either case, mutual gains would be made from the transaction: Both the buyer and the seller know what he or she is getting, and both end up with what might be considered a fair deal.

But if the customer is unable to distinguish quality (and with shoes it is very difficulty for the average customer to distinguish quality), both grades of milk must sell for the same price - about $0.90.

Under this system, honest brokers of pure milk go bankrupt, while corrupt watered down milk sellers flourish. So, logically enough, soon all surviving merchants are watering down their milk and pocketing large profits, and consumers believe they are getting a bargain when in fact they are being ripped off.

The key factor is the knowledge gap between the buyer and the seller. The cheaper the goods, the harder retailers work to keep consumers from knowing the truth about them. And the more narrowly consumers focus on price, the easier they are to fool. Lately the trend is to fool customers about the product by using good design (knocked off) and good branding, imagery and store design. By using great photographers, models, knocked off good designs and clever branding, sellers are skillfully working very hard to not only keep consumers from knowing the truth about the products they sell...they are even preventing consumers from asking the hard questions at all.

If customers know the milk is watered down, there is no problem; they pay less for it and get precisely what they bargained for. Customers who prefer their milk without water can choose to pay a higher price. No one is cheated, no one is fooled. But when dishonest brokers add water to the milk and sell it for less without telling customers they have watered it, the unwitting public believes it is getting a great deal.

If enough dishonest merchants water their milk, more and more customers will forget what normal milk tastes like and buy only the cheaper watered down variety. Eventually honest brokers are forced to water their milk, too, or get pushed out of business. Pure milk becomes no longer available and even the price of watered milk goes up. Good money and good milk is driven out by the bad.

I've watched the same thing happen in the footwear industry. I see trusted brands selling PU (fake leather) shoes and labelling them genuine leather. I see them lining shoes in fabric instead of leather. I see them using the lowest grades of rubber on their soles...or worse, thin unsuitable leather soles. I see them making shoes in the poorest countries in the world by totally unskilled, contracted, per-piece workers that don't have the skills to make a pair of shoes themselves. I see them picking knock-off designs from factory catalogs and stamping their own logo on it. They've had to, or they will go out of business because the shop next door is deceptively selling watered down milk. And besides, it makes "good business sense" to sell watered down milk because the customer thinks they are getting a bargain but the seller makes more profit than selling pure milk honestly.

The result is, as explained in Akerlof's example, nearly all the merchants are selling watered down milk and many customers have forgotten the taste of pure milk. Those that have not yet forgotten the taste have been saying that there are no good shoes around (except in the Vein Store of course).

At Vein Wear, we only sell pure milk. How do we know? We milk the cows ourselves.

ECCO Men's Century Slip-on

omfort never looked so good. The smooth leather Century slip-on shoe from Ecco Mens Shoes features a padded collar, dual-goring for easy on/off, bicycle style toe, finely tailored stitch detail, padded insole with arch support, and textured rubber outsole. Dress up your casual wardrobe or pair with your business suits and be prepared to impress.

Pink Slips for Breast Cancer Foundation

The Breast Cancer Foundation held their annual event in Brisbane this month.  The highlight for everyone is the pink "Global Illumination" of the bridge which is stunning and raises awareness of Breast Cancer.

Breast Cancer affects 1 in 8 women.  It is a disease that touches so many of us in one way or another. This year, in support of the Breast Cancer Month and the National Breast Cancer Foundation Vein Wear donated a pair of Pink Low Cut Lounge Slippers to the charity auction.  Congratulations and thank you to the winning bidder.

In further support, I will donate $100 for any purchase of a pair of Pink Low Cut Lounge Slippers (8754-S1 Pink) until November 30, 2009, when you purchase online at VeinWear.com and use the discount code "Breast" in the checkout. 

Special thanks also to Mark Lobo who donated his photographic services for the event.  The fruits of his work are the above images.  Check out more at his site http://www.marklobo.com.au/news/.

Tradies Killing It

In another change of pace, the Vein Wear Brogue Wrap Laced Shoes are featured in Tradie Magazine. These are not work boots! haha... If anyone is wealthy in Australia it'll be a Tradie. So why not look good doing it?

This magazine is giving me very good memories of Benny Benassi's "Satisfaction".

These shoes are available currently in sizes 42-46 online at VeinWear.com.

Born In The USA Magazine

Born In The USA Magazine is featuring a pair of the Vein Wear Canvas Slips in Red and White Stripes.  I was a little surprised to see us in this magazine.  And a little thrown off by the doughnuts and cheese burgers.  Oh well, when in Rome...

There are only two sizes left in these shoes.  42 and 43.  If that's your size, you can get them online now at VeinWear.com.

First Entrant in Shoe Design Competition

The first entrant in the Vein Wear Men's Shoe Design Competition is Chris Worfold.  Chris entered two designs, the Desert Court Boot and the Night Court Boot (both above).

Anyone can enter.  It's easy and fun.  All the designs will be voted for online from Jan 13, 2010 at the competition site. The 3 most popular designs will be graphically designed and voted on by our all-star judging panel.  The winner will have a pair of their design custom made for themselves (or partner/friend), and the design will be featured in the Vein Store along with their bio.  It will be available for purchase on a made-to-order basis.

Enter now at the competition site here: http://veincomp.blogspot.com

ECCO Men's Business Comfort Slip-on

Show off your attention to style in Ecco's Business Comfort slip-on. With a smooth, full-grain leather upper, textile lining, and anatomical design for the best fit, this shoe is great for business and pleasure.

• Full grain leather
• Manmade sole
• Leather lining for superior fit and breathability
• Lightweight polyurethane outsole for durablity and comfort
• Anatomically shaped for the best fit
• Removable ECCO Comfort Fibre System® insole

Brisbane News: You're So Vein

by Lizzie Corser:

If you've dreamed of designing your very own shoe - and who hasn't? - now is your chance to make it a reality.

Local men's footwear brand Vein Wear has announced its 2010 footwear design competition, inviting shoe and fashion design students and members of the public to submit their dream men's shoe design.

Entries will be judged by Vein's design team, as well as the general public via an online ballot. In January 2010, three finalists will have their designs recreated digitally and, after judging, the winning design will be sold on a made-to order basis.

Shoe design and production is one of the most difficult design industries to crack locally, so this is a fantastic opportunity. Everyone can enter now.

To enter, go to http://veincomp.blogspot.com

ECCO Men's Soft Moc

Whether you're relaxing with the wind in your hair or at a beachfront cottage with the sun on your face, this Soft Moc from Ecco Mens Shoes will charm you into leather relaxation. The low profile sole gives you a responsive touch and feel, while the topstitching accents give it a tailored look.

• leather
• Latex sole
• Features ECCO Comfort Fibre System® insole
• Latex outsole for durablity and comfort
• True moccasin construction for superior fit and comfort

It's all fine and dandy again

This article appeared in The Courier Mail on Wednesday, October 7, 2009:

It’s all fine and dandy again

Five years ago, the world was introduced to the
metrosexual. Now, his dapper big brother - the
dandy is stealing the spotlight, with a contemporary
twist.
Hilary Board reports

FIRST spotted in London town during the late 1700s, dandies have always been a conspicuous bunch from the "more is more" mindset.

Getting creative with cravats was something of a dandy trademark in the 18th century, along with contrasting the colours of one's jacket and pants. The latter has continued to be favoured by famous Yankee Doodle dandies Tommy Hilfiger and Ralph Lauren, season after season.

For spring/summer 2009, Italian designers D&G and Dsquared2 also jumped on the dandy bandwagon, with bow ties, rounded spectacles and jackets with contrasting lapels featuring in both.

After parading exquisitely cut three-piece suits with fob chains, Dsquared2 took their dandy to a hiphop concert - throwing a baseball cap, red shorts, bright sneakers, striped "gym socks" and a chunky gold neck chain into the mix.

These quirky modern twists breathed new life into the traditional dandy look and undoubtedly struck a chord with style-savvy young gents everywhere.

Brisbane footwear designer Chris McCallum also responded to the trend at his Vein Wear boutique in bustling Fortitude Valley recently, naming a new shoe the Dandy Loafer.


"Traditionally, a dandy was a self made man imitating aristocrats, who expressed his fine intellect by manifesting his appearance and wearing beautiful, refined clothing and shoes," McCallum says.


"I think men have come back to appreciating fine fashion as an expression of intellect, breeding, stature and masculinity - and thus the Dandy Loafer was born.


"Essentially, however, we are not really aristocrats - it's a charade – and the cracks inevitably show through. This is why I opted to use a cracked patent leather."


Vein Wear's collection includes other dandy classics with contemporary twists, such as the tartan Low Cut Lounge Slipper and the two-tone Brogue with metallic highlights and unorthodox brogue lines.


"I imagined the young aristocrat retiring to the cigar room for brandies and talk of politics wearing tartan slippers . . . so I designed the luxe Lounge Slipper with that in mind, but substituted the fabric for a new printed leather."

Fellow Brisbane boutique The Cloakroom announced it had "increased quality across the board" in May this year. The tailor-made men's clothing and accessories specialist has further improved the level of finish and construction in its trousers, and now hand-fasten the shirt buttons in their Pistols at Dawn label.

Since opening in Brisbane two years ago, owners Andrew Byrne and Josh McPherson have "been very fortunate to have had the support and patronage of many" and the polished duo recently opened a second Cloakroom store in Sydney's Surry Hills despite the gloomy economic climate. But the fashion industry hasn't been the only one to cash in on the dandy, with MTV introducing the reality show From G's to Gents in July last year.

Produced by actor/singer Jamie Foxx, the show chronicles 14 gangsters (G's) on their journey towards becoming proper gentlemen (and vying for the grand prize of $ll4,000).

The final episode of the first season drew 3.9 million viewers - making the show No.1 in its time slot and transforming its host, Fonzworth Bentley, into an instant dandy icon.

Bentley (real name Derrick Watkins) grew up in Atlanta with Outkast singer and bona fide dandy Andre 3000. Inspired by the letter sweaters, varsity jackets and riding breeches worn by college kids in the 1930s, Andre launched his own dandified label - Benjamin Bixby - early last year.

"You had rough guys who played football, but they were always impeccably dressed:' Andre has says. "Now, if a guy wants to wash his face, they call him a 'metrosexual'. We need to get away from thinking that being well-dressed means that you're gay. Looking and feeling good is no indication of your sexuality. I wanted to create clothes that represented my and others' style."

Like Dsquared2 and Vein Wear, Benjamin Bixby offers quirky re-workings of traditional looks that are what have made this trend so engaging once again.

With talented designers such as Byrne, McPherson and McCallum about town, we can rest assured every modern dandy will have his day.

Vein Wear Men's Shoe Design Competition

See http://veincomp.blogspot.com :

Download the full Competition Guidelines here: http://sites.google.com/a/veinwear.com/images/veincomp/HB-20091007_VeinCompDetails.pdf

Download the Design Templates here:
http://sites.google.com/a/veinwear.com/images/veincomp/CM-20091007_BlankSketchBinder.pdf

Email entries to vein@veinwear.com or post to Vein Wear, PO Box 2034 Ashgrove West, QLD 4060, Australia.


Brisbane-based footwear label, Vein Wear, is looking to uncover the next big thing in men's shoe design.


Open to budding shoe/fashion design students and footwear fanatics from the general public from Wednesday October 7 this year, the men's shoe design entries must be laid-up on one of nine Vein Wear templates. We are accepting entries from now until January 13, 2010.
All competition entries will initially be judged by Vein Wear's design team, students and the general public via a secret online and in-store ballot between January 13 and January 26, 2010.

The resulting three finalists will be announced on January 27, 2010 and they will then have their designs graphically reproduced by a professional Brisbane graphic designer and submitted to a second judging panel of approximately 10 local and national fashion editors, fashion educators and footwear industry experts on February 3, 2010.

The winner will be announced on February 24, 2010, and as part of their prize the winning design will be named after its designer; produced by master cobblers in Vein Wear's workshop; displayed next to a mini-biography of the winner in Vein Wear's boutique, and then sold on a made-to-order basis online and through the boutique.  The winner will also have a custom hand-made pair of their design made for themselves (or their partner).


Competition Guidelines

-All entrants must be 18 years of age or over.

-Only men's shoe designs will be accepted.

-Each entrant can enter a minimum of one and a maximum of three designs.

-Entries are not restricted to a set theme or fabric/material, however, they must be laid up on one of the nine templates shown on the Vein Wear Fan Association page on Facebook. (Alternatively you can download the design templates here.)

-The shoe's sole must be either leather or rubber.

-Designs can be in black and white, however, entrants must provide a colour image or actual swatch of the fabric/material/leather they envision being used in the design. (If the design encompasses more than one fabric/material/leather, the entrant must point out where each one would be situated on their design.)

-Along with their design, entrants must submit a brief (max 300-word) personal bio and an (max 500-word) explanation of the reasoning behind their shoe design choices. If the entrant is entering more than one design they must submit (max 500-word) explanations for each additional design.

-Competition dates must be adhered to. Late entries will not be accepted.

-Competition guidelines must be adhered to. Failure to do so may result in disqualification.



Tips for Entrants

-While Vein appreciates and encourages creativity, the design(s) must have a consumer focus and be commercially viable. This is not a forum for overly expensive, fanciful creations that would be considered more costume than fashion.

-While Vein doesn't like to slavishly follow fashion trends, entrants are encouraged to give their design a modern look and feel that keeps national and international footwear trends in mind.

-Entrants are encouraged to familiarise themselves with Vein Wear's design style/ethos by visiting either the website at www.veinwear.com, or the boutique in the TCB Centre – on the Fortitude Valley Mall.



Important Dates to Remember

Entries open to public: 9am Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Entries close: 5pm Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Three finalists announced: 10am Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Three finalists' entries submitted to second judging panel: 10am Wednesday, February 3

Winner announced: 10am Wednesday, February 24, 2010



Second Stage Judging Panel

1) Men's Style Australia editor: Peter Holder

2) National Men's Magazine fashion editor: TBA

3) Courier-Mail shopping editor: Laura Stead

4) Sunday-Mail fashion and beauty editor: Kellie Aldermann

5) Style Magazines editor: Cassie Laffey

6) Brisbane News Fashion editor: Lizzie Corser

7) QUT Fashion Discipline leader: Wendy Armstrong

8) MSIT Fashion Education manager: Elizabeth Reynolds

9) Footwear expert: TBA

10) Vein Wear owner and footwear designer: Chris McCallum

Ecco Men's Pacer Slip On Slip On

The Ecco Mens Shoes Pacer Slip On, easy slip on design makes this a great shoe for everyone.
Pace yourself because this easy-going slip-on from ECCO has all the right moves to keep you in comfort all through your busy day with the padded linings. The smooth leather upper lends sophistication to this low profile, and detailed topstitching dresses it up for the perfect business-casual day at work.

• leather
• Manmade sole
• Full grain leather uppers
• Partially leather lined
• Removable ECCO comfort fibre insole
• Direct injected, one-component PU sole