THE VELVET OVERGROUND
Liberated from their stuffy roots which date back to the Victorian era, slippers are now a bold style
statement that border on the subversive.
RENAISSANCE
by tom stubbs
photography sidney teo
group fashion editor sarah ann murray
From left:
Black and silver silk-wool evening
trousers with faille botanic embroidery,
Gucci; beige and black silk and velvet
Marchesa Casati slippers, Louis Leeman.
Grey and charcoal check wool trousers,
Berluti; blue velvet slippers with beads
and leather tassels, Alberto Moretti.
Blue jacquard silk patterned trousers,
Etro; black velvet slippers with
grosgrain bows, gunmetal studs and
mirrored toe-cap, Louis Leeman.
Black cotton-velvet trousers, Dolce
& Gabbana; dark-green velvet
Sovereign loafers with royalcrown embroidery, Church’s.
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W
hen it comes to style, there’s little more gratifying
than witnessing the vaunted finery and preserves
of privilege being appropriated by the wider stylepossessed community — especially when it facilitates upping the
fancy-shoe quotient. The recent appetite for velvet slippers
exhibited by strains of modern style merchants is an
excellent example. The nouveau slipper set is diverse. Ryan
Gosling is often in black velvet Alberto Morettis on the
red carpet; Kanye West can’t stop ‘flossing’ in velvet slips,
in his videos and at fashion shows; even Elton John and
Morgan Freeman have been spotted in them. But it’s far from
being merely a celeb thing — global hipsters and dandies
have really driven up their popularity. Velvet slippers are
the new exuberant style statement. If you think you’re not a
VS guy, the host of slipper creativity and stylistic daring that
this trend has solicited might tempt you to dip your toes in.
Velvet dress slippers were gentlemanly attire during
Victorian times, when the Prince Albert slipper was named
after the royal enthusiast. Eveningwear evolved, but slippers
stayed the distance, being the preserve of chaps in velvet
smoking jackets, propping up fireplaces in drafty piles or
languishing in super-preppy East Coast men’s clubs —
they were effectively smoking shoes. Matching them to
velvet smoking jackets is one modus operandi, but with
a dinner suit, darker hues function in the least jarring way. On a
nimble stylist, they work as the only vibrant splash in a blacktie look. Monograms or insignias can be a fetching touch. The
real story, however, is sporting them in non-formal scenarios.
Tuscan shoe designer Alberto Moretti could scarcely be
more of a Rake man. Keen on wearing a bow-tie from the
age of three, he’s also an avid and accomplished polo player.
He took the historical Italian brand Arfango, which dates
from 1902, and reworked its ethos, relaunching it in 2008;
Moretti has also collaborated with Lapo Elkann under the
Italia Independent brand. The silk-velvet handstitched
Velvet slippers from George Cleverley.
slipper loafer has become Moretti’s signature piece in
a spectrum of sophisticated hues, such as dusty amethyst
and bronzes. “Once upon a time, the velvet slipper was an
accessory to wear at home,” he says. “Nowadays, the velvet
slipper loafer is iconic. Velvet is a passe-partout [all-purpose]
in fashion, with jeans or tuxedo, in the morning or evening.”
Penny and tassel loafers in midnight blue and black velvet
are gorgeous. Alongside classically beautiful work, seasonal
collections push the slipper envelope, with fun, irreverent
adornments and finishes. Quirky trompe-l’oeil brogue patterns,
cheeky lipstick kisses or dainty bows play with masculinity.
“I’ve transformed the classic slipper into a real moccasin
to be worn all the time, with precious brooches, bow-ties,
crystal embroideries and bows evoking glamorous evenings,”
says Moretti.
Aside from the celebrity swell, however, the VS is also a tool
for accomplished fancy-loafer protagonists. There’s little that
is more effective as a relaxed-suave statement than exceptional
loafers with jeans and a T-shirt or sweater. Velvet is historically
a regal or religious hierarchical material, which makes messing
about with it rather edgy. The slipper’s indoor purpose
teamed with velvet’s lofty semiotics becomes subversive when
out of context — an agile yet potent shoe force to be harnessed.
English shoemaking maestros GJ Cleverley reports soaring
demand for their finely executed slippers, and men wearing them
at all times of the day. Cleverley offers excellent monogramming,
and bespoke clients include Jackie Stewart and Terence Stamp.
One obsessed chap apparently ordered 35 pairs at one go, in
various velvets and motifs, including gold skulls and bicycleriding skeletons. Another compatriot in the shoemaking
business, albeit with a longer history, Edward Green, also
provides ‘noble’ customisation services. The elegant scripting
and monogramming are performed by Hand & Lock,
embroiders of high repute dating back to 1767. Burgundy
with navy detail and gold trim look super; your coat of arms,
Navy floral embroidered shawl-collar
silk evening suit, Chapman Brothers
for Louis Vuitton; white cotton evening
dress shirt, black silk bow-tie, and black
velvet slippers with bear embroidery
and mirrored heel, all Louis Vuitton.
Blue silk socks and silver signet
ring, both property of The Rake.
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English comedian Stephen Fry playfully
matches a velvet jacket with velvet slippers
that are topped with a crown motif.
Grey wool-flannel trousers, Ralph
Lauren Double RL; black velvet Collis
slippers with white embroidered
monogram, Ralph Lauren.
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FASHION STYLIST: MARIE LEE.
FASHION ASSISTANT: MELISSA TEE.
GROOMING: ANDY RAZALI USING MAKE UP FOR EVER AND DESIGN PULSE BY MATRIX.
MODEL: SIMONE K / AVE.
RENAISSANCE
logo or insignia is one option, but the elaborate ‘rose and
thorn’ design demonstrates the full possibility.
Purveyor of handmade slippers Stubbs & Wootton offers
classics with a playful twist: varsity/collegiate-style letters
that spell ‘CLE’ on one slipper and ‘VER’ on the other; chic
velvet herringbone, or loden velvet with Roman columns or
vessels as motifs. One of Savile Row’s finest bespoke tailoring
houses, Gieves & Hawkes, under Jason Basmajian, now makes
turquoise or black slippers with gold regalia. “As an American
expat in London, I’ve always associated velvet slippers with
the British aristocracy,” Basmajian says. “Today, rules have
changed and sartorial elegance has become more democratic.
It’s subversive wearing ornately monogrammed velvet slippers
with jeans on the street, or seeing them on young hipsters and
not only landed gentry.” Further provocation comes from New
& Lingwood — although the ‘OLD’- and ‘GIT’-emblazoned
pair might only be too true. Ralph Lauren does pleasant oldworld work in purple with bullion-thread-embroidered script
— Ronnie Lane was never out of them, apparently. Finally,
there’s the handsome slipper in royal blue with silver-threadembroidered crown motif from Church’s, limited to 800 pairs.
There’s not enough black-tie/opera invites to account for
the upsurge in demand. The trend is the accessory equivalent
of the ransacking of Rome,
with different brigades
of nouveau slipper fops
assembled. New redcarpeters channel the
‘fractured evening’ look,
taking
elements
of
formalwear and pairing
them with skinny jeans,
T-shirts and knits. The hip-hop/grime crew — Kanye, Pharrell,
Tinie Tempah et al. — run with the slipper ethic, juxtaposing
it with suits or sportswear and heavily ‘iced’ watches. Between
West London’s braying Sloanes and their Eurotrash cousins, a
new roster of velvet slipperage kicks off: white or light jeans with
no socks, prestige sports watches and wads of friendship
bracelets constitute their take on it. It is, however, the highfashion-accessory hipsters who have broken the most ground,
teaming the velvet slipper with an exotic tote bag and the
ubiquitous skinny pants and statement scarf. These groups
have even taken to wearing it with shorts, illustrating that VS
can be truly tongue-in-cheek subverted finery: forget country
houses — think ‘Sockless in the City’. The male ankle has
become a focal point in recent years, with short, narrow pants
defining a look for a decade — and slippers slip effortlessly
into this formula.
The scene has gone far beyond traditional work. Designers
with spirit and verve have pushed the boat out, while, for
some, promoting seriously artful and chic slipper culture has
become their very objective. See, for instance, Louis Leeman —
a shoe brand helmed by Leeman himself and Erica Pelosini, a
veritably charming duo. I fell helplessly in love with the
sheer extravagance and artful opulence of their first collection
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— the stuff is out-of-this-world in finish, fabrication and form.
Their fine-shoe ethos channels peacocking male values, but
expressed in contemporary ways. “Just think of the 19th century, the
time when dandyism flourished,” says Pelosini. “We are in search
of lost times. Why can’t we be fancy all the time?” Their metal
toecaps and heels with delicately contrasting trim around the edge
— especially in cream — are outstanding. “Those are actually one
of my favourite everyday shoes,” Leeman says. “I love to wear them
with black jeans, but also with a tailored suit — I think they really are
an all-purpose shoe.” Imperial embroidery, studs and golden tassels
adorn their work with the savoir-faire of baroque royalty. “We are
trying to challenge the pre-established rules [by our] choice of
materials, studded heels… There are no rules, with the exception
of craftsmanship. It’s our religion — the key to our shoes lies in
the level of dedication by Tuscan artisans.”
On the subject of regional Italian craft, Santoni have just
made some delightful, ornately decorated velvet slippers in
sumptuous furnishing fabrics by the venerable textiles producer,
Rubelli, from Venice. With cream flora and fauna playing over the
shoe, they are particularly gorgeous and light in navy or pistachio.
A typically (Tom) Fordian take are the slippers with alpha-bigcat prints in an exotic colour scheme, made in Italy with Indian
embroidery. These high-summer posing loafers are more
‘glamorous green lawn garden cocktail party’ than ‘red carpet’.
Parisian glamour house Christian Louboutin has gone
slipper-hybrid berserk. Most of their work is high fashion fused
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with manga-like, punk-fetish accents. Black velvet slippers with
black studded toecaps are particularly impudent statements.
Drop them into black tie without raising an eyebrow until
further inspection reveals stealth-aggro subversion. A ‘tattoo
parlour’ service is offered to clients for them to embellish
slippers with designs from their own tattoos. “I made a pair of
shoes for a friend, embroidered with his tats,” Louboutin says. “I realised that a tattoo is a map on a body... [There’s]
something about [tattoos] — it’s a part of the person’s life; it’s
like an armour or a crest.”
From body art, we move on to fine art at Louis Vuitton:
handstitched and embroidered velvet slippers featuring the
prints adapted from the Chapman brothers’ My Giant Colouring
Book from 2004 were on the French house’s autumn runway
collection. Evocative and controversial etchings include jointhe-dots teddies and eyeballs fused with a Diana Vreelandesque approach to garish print and colour. This constitutes
pretty outré decorations for one’s shoe.
Expect more from this scene, as velvet (or otherwise)
slippers are now the single most focused area of extreme
creative and stylistic activity. Magical aristo-dress-down velvet
slippers are a delightfully rakish route into aristocratic finery,
yet they are effortlessly casual and wearable. The next stage for
me is to master 200m sprints down Lower Clapton Road in
Hackney, as their appeal to hipsters and the ghetto-fabulous
appears equally intense.
Velvet slippers with skull motif by George Cleverley.
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