Church's and Car Shoe
Two storied shoe labels owned by Prada Group will open at Ion Orchard next week.
For a more formal look, there's Church's, a prestigious English footwear brand dating back to 1873, which will open its first flagship here next Tuesday.
"Historically, Church's serves shoes to well-heeled businessmen and diplomats. Today, Church's continues to serve male bankers, lawyers, management, politicians and the like," says the group's chief operating officer Sebastian Suhl.
He adds that the label has also expanded its reach to leather goods, woven goods and ladies shoes and products. "Today, men in Singapore (and the rest of Asia) have a difficult time finding such well made shoes and accessories. Church's will provide such products in a very luxurious retail environment."
Striking a note of refined casual is Car Shoe, the Italian company that made the original driving moccasin in 1963, that is well loved for its quality and comfort. "For casual use, there are no brands which can provide the product and colour/material range that Car Shoe will – both for men and women," says Mr Suhl. Car Shoe opens on Wednesday.
Aston Blake
British-Australian label Aston Blake (at Millenia Walk) takes shirts a step further, merging the fashion sensibilities of prêt-a-porter with the fit that can only come with a made-to-measure service, in their branded bespoke concept.
Offering seasonal collections off the peg that can be made-to-fit and customised within the current season's design palette with the assistance of in-store stylists, the shirts, priced upwards of $245, take roughly one to two weeks to finish.
"At Aston Blake, we nurture clean masculine silhouettes and an effortless style for individuals who enjoy quality fabrics and craftsmanship, subtle details in their career shirts and/or an element of boyish playfulness in their casual wear," explains creative director Connie Chaird.
"The inspiration behind the label came from the idea of a rejuvenated Savile Row; a desire to offer contemporary lines and a generation-relevant styling service as well as well as beautifully cut shirts."
Dockers
From the classic American brand that has defined the spirit of khaki since 1986 as an alternative to dress pants, comes a new collection of work pants (photo: above).
Dockers' latest line features innovative functions such as inside pockets and zip off detailing, offering comfort, practicality and durability all at once. It has also launched a new global ad campaign aptly called "Wear The Pants" to reinforce its identity as a brand that does pants best, reworking ubiquitous khakis with a wide array of new fits, cuts and finishes for the contemporary male.
"The intent of the campaign is to put forth a new definition of masculinity, one that embraces strength and sensitivity and appeals to men who can change a tyre AND a diaper," says its global vice-president of marketing, Jennifer Sey.
"We are not trying to shame men. We want to make them laugh at themselves and at the state of manhood. And, at the same time, encourage them to dress up, man up and embody today's new definition of masculinity."
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