The Armoury Lightbox

One of the nice things about doing trunk shows with visiting artisans is you get a chance to hang out with them, talk to them and really get to know them. We try our best to bring in the people who we think create products outstanding on at least one level; be it design, style, quality of work, value, etc. These are things immediately obvious when you pick up and inspect what they have made. It is through spending some time with them, do you get a better sense for their motivations, what they prioritize in their design, their own thought processes and how they like to work.

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Certainly, the artisans go through great lengths to strive for great results each in their own way. What is strikingly common among all of them is they enjoy the most complicated, challenging parts of their work the most. Koji measures the customer, creates the last and then designs the shoe by penciling straight onto the last before handing onto the clicker and patterner. These early critical steps demand not only a high level of technique but also that intangible thing, aesthetic sense.

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As he mentioned to me today: “Balance.” I asked him if he ever gets bored of having to design the same archetypal shoe styles, like the cap toe, the wing tip and so on, and if he ever envies the “liberties” makers such as Berluti take in their own design. He replied “No. The challenge of staying within the boundaries of the archetype while still coming up with something good is more interesting. Having to find balance in the design.” When I look at his shoes, I get much more than a feeling of someone pulling a few lines in this direction and stretching it across that edge. I see a developed, considered piece of work that was done holistically rather than by piecemeal and procedure. There are no unnecessary flourishes, just shoes with lines that are succinct, beautiful and balanced. You know it when you see it.

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Till the next time, Koji!

- Mark