We made a trip to our factory in Le Marche, on the Adriatic east coast of Italy, recently to see the production of some of our forthcoming AW13 designs from the very first cuts.

The Bernacchini factory has been making our shoes for more than 20 years. A family-run establishment, every step of the shoemaking process is lead by only the most skilled and passionate workers whose sheer craft and expertise resonates in every handmade shoe they produce. Their finesse creates only the most desirable and innovative types of footwear, ranging from classic derby brogues right through to casual cup soled trainers.

To learn in more detail about our factory and the shoe making process, click here.

Baz Luhrmann's sumptuous adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's 'The Great Gatsby' is set for release next week. A tale that revels in the opulence of the roaring twenties, the film is undoubtedly set to dominate fashion trends this summer.

Gatsby and his party revellers' attire was all about refinement. From tailored jackets to subtle, pop-coloured accessories, their look complimented the sartorial elegance that defined their decadent lifestyle and extravagent wealth. 

Our SS13 collection features a range of key pieces to offset your wardrobe with true sartorial class that only Jay Gatsby would be proud of. Below are just two examples of achieving this great Gatsby look.


 
From top to bottom: Stratten Navy blazer, Asino Navy pocket square, Dots Black socks, Picolit Black/Grey brogue.




From top to bottom: Lastra Navy blazer, Asino Purple pocket square, Herriot Navy socks, Salento Brown/Beige brogue.

There's something just that bit cooler about Made in Chelsea star, Oliver Proudlock. With his down to earth and chilled vibe, he has become a fan favourite but it's his penchant for urban streetwear that has really got everyone talking.



A designer in his own right of the hugely popular t-shirt brand Serge DeNimes, when Oliver met with our Cobbler-in-Chief about the design process of our shoes, conversation quickly turned to our trainers and contemporary casual designs. Taking inspiration from this season's most covetable menswear trends, Oliver's designs incorporate leopard print, bold, colourful suedes and intricate gold detailing in casual and easy to wear trainers that reflect his sought after, effortless, urban style.





Shot on a (rare) warm, spring day in April, we took Oliver on the roof of our Kentish Town head quarters to create a campaign that reflects the 'urban jungle' feel of our designs. With backdrops of London showcased in the bright sunshine against the city's rooftops and ruins, the shots capture Oliver's experimental designs at unconventional heights that only serve to emphasise this very cool, debut collection.









The Oliver Sweeney + Oliver Proudlock  range will be available online and in our King Street, Conduit Street and Harvey Nichols London concession only. Both the Tijuca chukka boot and the Nox Pardus hi-top trainer will come in men's sizes 7-12, including some half sizes.

The Nox Pardus leopard print hi-top trainer will also be available for women in sizes 3-8, including some half sizes.



The collection is now available to pre-order from here.

The collection will be available in selected stores and online from mid May 2013. Watch this space for more updates!




 

The brogue is undoubtedly a wardrobe staple. Whether that brogue is an oxford, derby, ghillie or a monk stap, few men would walk away from such a timeless classic, especially one of such exquisite craftsmanship.

Our Handcrafted Collection, which utilises traditional crafting methods that are over 200 years old, demonstrates exactly why the brogue has been a sartorial necessity for decades.

The Arta, styled here with our Lisle Blue sock, is a 'long wing' or 'American brogue'. Known as a longwing for its extended wingtip detail across the length of the shoe, Arta also features signature brogue detailing that reinforces the du puy leather to retain a distinctively gentrified style.





The double monk strap Inca, styled here with Dots Dark Grey, is not to be outdone by its classic brogue neighbour. Originally worn by monks in the 11th century who wanted a shoe that was simple yet sturdy, the monk strap flirts with conventional style but offers a slightly alternative for dress attire.





Palma, our oxford brogue, seen here with Herriot Navy, completes the collection. Whilst candid in design, the focus of the shoe is the closed lacing system which dinstinguishes this style as the ultimate, conservative formal shoe. Its simplicity allows the rest of the outfit to take as much focus to create a balanced yet confident look.

Our Handcrafted Collection is available online and instore now. To shop the collection click here.

Our AW13 press day, held just the other week in our Conduit Street store, was certainly our most successful to date. With reinforced brogueing details, contrasting leathers and intricate stitching designs, the AW13 range prides itself on its attention to detail.

In line with this attentiveness, we made sure that our press day was all about the details. As well as showcasing the range, there was shoeshining, Saint Beer a-plenty and a huge popcorn cart to keep our guests happy.

Here's a selection of some of our favourite Instagram snaps from the day...




























 

 

Check out more from Saint Beer here - http://www.enjoysaint.com/

Cycling is a huge part of our Cobbler-in-Chief's life. Not only is it a vital part of his daily routine but is has long been a fascination of his. Inspired by the design, intricacies and technicality that goes into each frame, he was inspired to create a new, contemporary, casual range. 





The Materials
We went to two of the greatest tanneries in England and worked with them to produce fabulous leathers. We love the high oil content of the Stead leathers which pull-up beautifully yet recover in an instant.

The Construction
Throughout the construction process we were insistent on having fantastic side stitched, casual sneakers. We wanted, where possible, for the shoes to not be overly-constructed and for the internals to be as clean from the seams as possible.

The Strap
The reinforcement patches on the toes are there for when you're using toe clips and straps. We also opted for a denim inspired triple row stitch instead of using the normal twin row stitching.

The Welt
When we were in the factory we noticed the shark's tooth like detail on the inside, so we put it in the wrong way round and loved what it looked like.








We had a lot of fun experimenting with various veg-tanned leathers to get it just right and we love the results. With leathers that can only improve with age, denim inspired triple row stitching and shark's tooth like detailing, the Compass Collection is as unique as it is versatile.

To shop the Compass Collection click here.

Check out our Compass Collection video too, featuring style expert and blogger, Martell Campbell.

To celebrate the relaunch of their men's shoes department, Selfridges London saw acrobats, candy and the fun of the fair come to the world famous department store last week for the much anticipated 'Selfridges Shoe Carnival' in association with GQ.



Our Tattooist-in-Chief was on hand, and extremely in demand, throughout the night as fashion goers sought on getting their Sweeney favourites marked in a truly unique way.

Demand was certainly vast and as eccentric as the performers on the night (just how do they balance like that!? and on one hand!) but demonstrated the amazing artistic abilities of our Tattooist-in-Chief.







If you fancy transforming your Sweeneys, simply email your choice of shoe and type of design to shoetattoo@oliversweeney.com.

No design is too big, too small, or too complicated but price is dependent on design, starting from £25. For the best effects we would also recommend choosing a tan coloured shoe.



Still need some inspiration? Check out our shoe tattoo gallery to see just a small selection of some of the designs people have already gone for.

The latest volume of SPASHION, a unique publication that incorporates powerful design, inspirational fashion images and high profile sports interviews, features a breathtaking shoot with freerunning founder, Sebastien Foucan. Exclusively featuring only Sweeneys throughout the shoot, photographer Alexander Beer captures the sheer essence of Foucan's art that pushes boundaries, exceeds expectations and stretches beyond the norm.

'Freerunning' which is, more simply put, a combination of gymnastics and acrobatic moves, is deemed by Foucan as more of a complex philosophy: "Freerunning is the art of expressing yourself in your environment without limitations." The shoot propelled our shoes into the extremes that freerunning constantly challenges and showcases some dazzing results, which you can view below.

Stylist Ricky Partner's choice in solely Sweeney for Foucan compliments the Sweeney philosophy for both premium style and enduring craftsmanship. If you want to see some more of the Sweeneys in action, check out the video below...

With its ornate detailing, the kiltie adds a jaunty layer of intrigue to any pair of kicks and gives a playful edge to an old-fashioned concept, something that style experts and bloggers Martell Campbell and Donya Patrice were particularly taken with.

With an armful of kilties, we asked them to show us their colours and to style their Sweeneys with an array of combinations. From playful contrasts to carefully aligned adornements, the kiltie enhances any shoe and offers an impish take on sartorial style.

With the ability to completely transform a shoe or even revive an old favourite, the possibilites, as Martell and Donya discovered, are endless. See how their vivacious combinations inspire your style and make sure you, too, show your colours!






Parham Tan styled with Mission Black and Tan kiltie.


Picolit Brown styled with Dots Black and Dark Brown kiltie.



Aldeburgh Tan styled with Nile Black and Dark Brown kiltie.



Salento Brown/Cream styled with Dots Dark Grey and Purple Lizard kiltie.



Abrahams Gaucho styled with Nile Cobalt and Tan Lizard kiltie.



Abrahams Navy styled with Nile Navy and Red kiltie.



Wickham Grey styled with Herriot Navy and Purple kiltie.



Aldeburgh Black styled with Lisle Purple and Black kiltie.



Abrahams Navy/Burgundy styled with Bless Black and Lime kiltie.



Piano Black styled with Nile Black and Black Lizard kiltie.





Emilia Red styled with Nile Dark Grey and Red kiltie (left) and Emilia Black styled with Nile Dark Grey and Purple kiltie.

Since the launch of our first Sweeney shoe tattoo pop-up in Selfridges last September, the demand for this exclusive service has been endless. So, due to popular demand, we're relaunching our pop-up in the famous London department store once again for a limited period only!

Our Tattooist-in-Chief will be in residence on Mens Shoe Floor 1, between 11th-25th March, to personalise your Sweeneys with a unique, indelible mark.

Requests are entirely open. From personalised messages upon a pair of smart lace-up shoes for your wedding day to your favourite picture on an old Sweeney favourite, no design is too extravagent.

To mark the occasion, we've selected just a few of our favourite images of past tattooed Sweeneys. How will you choose to mark yours?








To see more about our unique service, check out our video at http://youtu.be/N2d3ZvQi0Zs