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