Brisbane - New Shoe Store Opens in the Brisbane Arcade

"Brisbane Arcade welcomes the newest addition to its portfolio of respected Australian designers with the opening of the Vein Shoe Store. 

Vein Shoe Store is not just any shoe store. Like most of the boutiques housed in the grand heritage city shopping arcade, Vein’s design ethos revolves around principles of quality, creativity and individuality.

Founder and head designer, Christopher McCallum, has set out to create shoes that boast both quality craftsmanship and an urban design edge. 

“Our main point of difference is that we’re original Australian-designer footwear. We don’t water down other styles from elsewhere,” explains McCallum.

Each shoe is hand made by world-renowned cobblers who have decades of experience in their craft – from the initial stages of hand sketched designs and pattern making to the painstaking construction of a genuine style statement, of which there will only be 10 to 100 pairs released worldwide.

It is due to the high quality and urban eclecticism of its shoes that Vein has appeared in numerous fashion shows for luxury international labels including Hugo Boss, Kenzo and Tommy Hilfiger.

As well as stocking the store’s eponymous label, Vein Shoe Store also caters to women in the form of local shoe brand, Kitty Croquet.

Located at the Adelaide Street end of the arcade, the new store joins around 50 other retailers, the majority of which are home grown Brisbane businesses, providing a showcase of local talent and including some of the best and most awarded designers, manufacturers and buyers in the industry.

Long term notable retailers include Bora, Tengdahl, Darb Bridal Couture, Stones Jewellers, Maryons Shoes, Keri Craig, Robert White Jeweller and Darrell Lea.

Brisbane Arcade runs from the Queen Street Mall through to Adelaide Street and was built in 1923 for Dr James Mayne and his sister Miss Mary Emelia Mayne. The Arcade continues to be operated today in its original form by the Trustees of the siblings’ estate and proceeds from the trust support the University of Queensland Medical School and medical research."

Follow The Fashion - Vein Wear to Open at Brisbane Arcade

"Next month, mens footwear label Vein Wear will open it’s second Brisbane store at Queen Street Mall’s historic Brisbane Arcade. Located on Adelaide Street, the store fitout will be synonymous with the Vein Wear style and stock stylish hand made, high quality mens shoes. Designed by Brisbane local Christopher McCallum, Vein Wear shoes are sketched from scratch, not mass produced and embody individuality.

PLUS make sure you vote for your favourite designer in Vein Wear’s men’s shoe design competition. They are looking to uncover the next big thing in mens shoe design. The winning designer will have their shoe made by Vein Wear. Voting starts tomorrow and runs for two weeks. Visit http://veincomp.blogspot.com for

details."

Follow The Fashion

Vein Wear has unveiled its second footwear boutique in Brisbane’s prestigious Brisbane Arcade

Fast becoming a cult brand for men of style, Vein Wear has expanded its doors from Fortitude Valley and opened its second boutique in the heritage listed Brisbane Arcade.

In a time when most retailers are struggling with the thought of expansion, Vein Wear owner Chris McCallum has dived into the opportunity head first. “We have wanted to open a second boutique in the city for a while now because business is going well, but the problem was finding the perfect location,” explains McCallum. “There are two sides of this position which represent our brand perfectly: the Brisbane Arcade’s old world charm fits the traditional way we make our shoes, and Adelaide Street reflects the unique, modern edge to our designs.”

To celebrate the store’s opening on Thursday, January 28, Vein Wear unveiled a brand new collection featuring eight new shoe styles and colours. “We’re really excited about some of the new designs, like the ankle-free slipper in light blue and the woven slides with a new construction in their padding to make you feel like you’re walking on air,” McCallum says.

The concept and design of the CBD store has been a collaborative project with renowned Brisbane artist Chris Wolford and is dedicated to portraying Vein Wear’s vision of a comfortable artistic space within a unique, stylish retail store. “We wanted the new boutique to reflect the brand with raw, textural aspects and bring some of the outdoors in,” McCallum says. Lacquered tree trunk chandeliers, a Western Red Cedar display wall, leather seating and recycled materials have been used collectively to achieve a fluid, organic space and offer the customer a remarkable retail experience.

At the boutique’s official gala opening night on Wednesday, March 3, the highly anticipated winner of Vein Wear’s 2010 Men’s Footwear Competition, judged by Men’s Style Editor Peter Holden, The Sunday Mail Fashion Editor Kellie Alderman and Mercedes-Benz Brisbane Fashion Festival Director Lindsay Bennett (among others), will be announced. The lucky winner receives the incredible chance to see their design come to life and then have it sold in store and online.

Along with Vein Wear’s men’s range, the new city boutique is home to the label’s women’s range, Kitty Croquet, which is designed by McCallum’s wife, Szuting.

Vein Wear’s new store is located at Shop 25, Brisbane Arcade, Adelaide St front, Brisbane City. Click here for details.

Official opening night: Wednesday, March 3.

Brisbane News - Walk Like A Man

Rag Trader Magazine - Sole to Survive

"In a year that saw big-name footwear brands such as Shoobiz, Evelyn Miles and Steve Madden (Australia) crumble in the face of the financial crisis, Vein Wear director Christopher McCallum made some tough decisions to ensure his business thrived." Assia Benmedjdoub (Rag Trader)

Yes, I made some very tough decisions.  Selling off the jet was probably the hardest.  I was attached to that damn plane.  That, and I stopped bathing in Evian.

Rag Trader - Best Foot Forward

Article Link: http://www.ragtrader.com.au/news/best-foot-forward

Best Foot Forward

02 Feb 2010

Boutique footwear labels are gaining serious ground in the Australian market, as revealed in Ragtrader magazine's recent shoe report. Chris McCallum, founder of Queensland-based brand Vein Wear, reveals his production secrets. 

Each year, 11 billion pairs of shoes are produced worldwide. Of that figure, Brisbane-based Vein Wear handmake just 10 to 100 pairs in each style in the spirit of true craftsmanship.

Mass production footwear factories around the world today typically use a ‘conveyor belt’ of workers who are each assigned to a very small section of the shoe-making process and thus do not understand how to make a pair of shoes from beginning to end. 

Because each worker is unaware of what the workers before them did, there are no check-points, so if a mistake is made, the shoe will still continue down the line until its faulty completion.

At Vein Wear, however, each shoe is crafted by master cobblers according to old traditions. The label’s head patternmaker, Sen Shi Fu, is a master with over 40 years of experience, and chief cobbler, Mr Bitters, has over 35 years of experience. 

Walk into a shoe store and ask for the name of their chief cobbler, patternmaker or designer and they typically won't have seen or heard of these people. Walk into Vein Wear, however, and we’ll tell you about them all! 

At Vein’s production workshop in Taipei, each cobbler is responsible for the shoe he accepts at his check-point. He is also responsible if the next check-point rejects the work he has just completed. New cobblers begin their career at the first check-point. 

Only after three years and four months at the same check-point will they have the opportunity to graduate to the next check-point. After graduating, the cobbler then receives shoes passed up from the check-point they worked at previously. 

Only having masters handling the footwear means every step in the shoe-making process is actually a quality control test.

We also personally hand pick the highest grade leathers (which have passed rigorous tests for colour, strength and consistency) directly from tanneries across the globe. What’s more, each pair of shoes is made from the same piece of leather so they match perfectly. 

The leather bonding process is then tested in hot and cold environments to ensure the shoes perform in both summer and winter extremes.

You may ask why anyone would hand-craft shoes in a world obsessed with churning out huge volumes with machine manufacturing. 

Sure, “production-line” shoes thrive because they are cheap, but when you invest a little – or a lot – more for hand-made shoes you save money in the long run. Look after them and they’ll serve you well for a long, long time.

Tyrone Noonan in NYC

Killer Brisbane-born NYC-based singer/song writer Tyrone Noonan sent through this promo shot of himself wearing his favourite pair of knee-length Vein Wear boots.  Keep it rockin' Ty.

A/W 10 Prada Men's Shoe

Before too much time has passed from Prada's A/W 10 show, I have to make note of these shoes.  Awesome. The most obvious feature is the oversized fringed tongue which is a fantastic twist.  And I think very wearable.  The shoes could probably be described as a variation of a Kiltie, which is defined as a casual shoe with a fringed tongue that overlaps fastening at the instep.

You might see golfers wearing similar styles. But this one is all fashion!

Shots Part 3

Photographer: Arthorse Jo

Stylist: Chris Stewart

Model: David Horny

Clothing: Subfusco, Barcode Jeans, Size, Always Habit

Shots Part 2

Photographer: Arthorse Jo

Stylist: Chris Stewart

Model: David Horny

Clothing: Subfusco, Barcode Jeans, Size, Always Habit

Shots Part 1

Photographer: Arthorse Jo
Stylist: Chris Stewart
Model: David Horny
Clothing: Subfusco, Barcode Jeans, Size, Always Habit

City News - That's Show Biz

City News featured this shoot by Jo Chang (aka Arthorse Jo):

"IF you're serious about fancy footwear guys, check out these hand crafted beauties by hot local design house, Vein Wear.  Fresh, edgy and downright beautiful, Vein Wear's men's shoes stand out in a mass-produced marketplace. Shop to it." Style Editor Nicole Carrington.

Also introducing Brisbane model Dave Horny.  Who has since been snapped up by a model agency.  Stylist Chris Stewart met him in Coles, did a shoot with Vein and a month later he was signed.  Well done Dave.

944 Magazine - Indie Fashion on the Web

Email from Stacy Coleman:

"I just wanted to share the great news that 944 Magazine has featured you!!!


http://www.944.com/blog/indie-fashion-on-the-web/


944 is the largest nation wide city specific magazine in the U.S. They cover fashion entertainment
and lifestyle segments from across the country- and have hosted events such as the MTV video
awards, and will be hosting this years superbowl!!


We are all so pleased to see this acknowlegement, and all of us at UsTrendy will continue to
promote and advertise all of our featured sellers and fabulous designers through more of these
media outlets, fashion blogs, social networks and more.. Very exciting stuff indeed!


So, again- let me just say Congratulations- keep up the fantastic work- and we cant wait to see
more of your creativity in 2010!"


The Vein Wear Woven Pointed Loafers (V2-6 A44 Blk Woven) are available now on VeinWear.com (AU$299.00).

Reading Between the Lines: What Magazines Don't Write About

Waiting for my milkshake in a Paddington cafe today, I picked up a copy of Grazzia magazine.  The first thing I noticed was fab find product shot of a Portman's shoe that looks like a knock-off.  I wondered, surely a professional fashion editor would know if this is a one-for-one rip-off.  So why would they promote it as a fabulous fashion find?  And if that editor did know, how would she justify showing high-end designers next to companies that are ripping off those designers?

I'm sure the answer is money.  As I flipped through the pages it became quite easy to make the direct correlation between the editor's fab finds, top picks, etc and a full page advertisement from that same company elsewhere in the magazine.

This is where as readers, we need to become a little more sophisticated and possibly critical.  I would go as far as to say don't give any weight to editorial mentions or picks at all if that company has advertised anywhere in the magazine.  Read between the lines.  Some people like advertising as content. But only if you know about it.

This is why I'm buying fewer and fewer magazines and reading more and more blogs by poor and independent editors.  The content is better, more honest and usually more interesting.  The down side for the bloggers is they often don't get paid.

New Vein Shoe Store - Design Notes by Chris Worfold

The new Vein Shoe Store has opened in Brisbane's CBD. The store is located at 117 Adelaide Street and forms part of the Brisbane Arcade Building.  We asked Store Concept Designer, Chris Worfold to talk through the design:

"The idea from the start was to create a space that was more like an artist's studio than a shop. Instead of glass, chrome, plastic and chipboard, there are welcoming deep leather chesterfields, warm planked timber walls, weathered pre-war doors, ornate sculptures and hand-made shoe lasts. There is a history in everything here.

It’s an eclectic bohemia. It’s a very personal response opposing the more obvious, homogenized and overtly branded commercial spaces. There has to be a letting go of all that control if you want something different. And we wanted there to be something more human and creative to the space not just all brand and product. We were aiming for something individualized and unique, not overly polished or finished but something that was more of an adventure.

Using a kind of anti-aesthetic is expansive for me. In this project we used things, materials and textures that I have a personal connection to. I wasn’t asked or expected to toe the line to the modern commercial aesthetic. I think that’s why Chris and Szuting (McCullum) wanted to work with an artist rather than an interior designer. I don’t think they wanted the easy answers. I think they wanted do something that was really a reversal of a standard shop-fit, something where idiosyncrasy reigns.

It's really a classical design language we’ve used though, wood, leather, velvet, mirror, glass but its all put together in the casual way like an artist might move things around in their studio. It's meant to evoke a way of living and creating, having a sense of romanticism and imagination about what is and what could be.

The tree root chandeliers are really a signature piece for me. We live on acreage just outside of Brisbane and there is a small gorge at the bottom of the property where the trees’ roots get exposed and eventually they come down. I’ve been experimenting with these tree roots in sculptures for over a decade. It’s the life of the tree that you never see, the underworld. And here we are literally lighting that up and thinking about the natural world and its organic process in that heart of the city.

About half the timber we used in the store was sourced from my Grandfather’s old house. A lot of the planks were the fence rails I grew up learning to balance and pretending to walk the tightrope on. You can’t buy new cuts of this quality timber anymore, it just isn’t available. They are beautiful hard wood planks, so dense you can feel the life of the tree in them; it’s mass, its fight against gravity, its stand in the world. We tried to remain true to the previous life of the timber, no repainting just cleaning, sanding and sealing it.

The doors are all solid core and prewar sourced from salvage yards. They are our metaphors for choice and change. For me they are connected to all sorts of memories, fairy tales, fantasies and ghost stories, from ‘Alice in Wonderland’ through to ‘The Shining’. Doors are the threshold to new experience. In the neighborhoods I have lived in there have always been haunted houses and those houses have always been full of old wooden doors like this, each one leading to a different and new world of horded treasures and detritus, the magical artifacts of a life once lived.

It is this haunting, magical and glamorous experience I wanted to tap into for the New Vein CBD store. It represents our creativity and idiosyncrasy. It’s not a space for the perfect or the static but a place to explore and to change."