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For those who know me, they know that I have an obsession with shoes. I’m always on the hunt for the next fabulous pair. When I heard Paul Andrew was launching a line of shoes for men during New York Fashion Week Men’s, this became a must see show for me.
Paul Andrew launched his luxury line of women’s shoes in spring of 2013 and almost immediately stuck success. In 2014, he was awarded the top honor from the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund, “Accessories Designer of the Year” in the 2013 edition of “Who is on Next” and was named Launch of the Year by Fairchild Publications for 2013. As a rising star in the world of shoe design, Andrew worked for famed design houses such as Donna Karan, Calvin Klein, Alexander McQueen and Narciso Rodriquez. His women’s line is flirty and sexy so I was eager to see his take for men.
Paul Andrew’s shoes combine old world craftsmanship with a modern sensibility. Dress shoes are crafted using Blake construction with thick lug soles. This will give men a lot of options for wear. These shoes will work equally well with a nicely tailored suit as well as paired with a pair of jeans. The designer utilizes this same type of theme throughout his collection.
Andrew noticed how men are wearing shoes and wanted to dispel the notion of what shoes have to be worn with certain occasions. Sneakers in midnight blue jacquard print would be great paired with a tuxedo while evening shoes with the thicker soles would not necessarily have to be worn exclusively for formal affairs.
At first glance colors seem like deep shades of browns and blacks but upon closer inspection the color palette is more nuanced. For Fall/Winter 2016, Paul Andrew uses a variety of shades including black, midnight blue, cordovan, espresso, camel and grey. Polished to a glossy shine, these babies are more like jewels for the feet.
Paul Andrew’s attention to detail to produce a high quality men’s line not only includes his thoughtful modern design aesthetic and nuanced color palette but it also extends to the premium materials used in the fabrication. For this collection he used buffalo grain leather from Norway, textured scotch grain, Italian silk velvet and high shine exotics.
For an inaugural showing, Andrew proved that he is no beginner and produced a strong collection that should capture the attention of the well heeled for the upcoming Autumn/Winter 2016 season. Standouts included the Castor Loafer and the Alastor Lace-up Brogue both in cordovan Spazzolato calf. In addition, the high-tops in a midnight blue jacquard print were also clear winners. According to Andrew, “You can’t fake a good pair of shoes or a good haircut,” and from the looks of his first collection, these shoes are no fakes.
See more of Paul Andrew’s A/W collection here (all photos by me):
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