I can tell you as I flirted with John Lobb (Paris) for a while ..

a) the design of a lot of their shoes has changed from traditional rounded toe chunky English shoes (still seen in some models like the William double monk) to very sleek modern last shapes with a more pointy toe which is very much the current zeitgeist.

b) the love of the 'antique' leather from Ilcea

c) the fact john lobb arguably has the best reputation out of the Northampton RTW shoe makers, backed in part from continued fusion of brand identity with the bespoke John Lobb firm. Helped by promotion by iGent high priests such as Roetzel who claimed in his main book they were at the pinnacle of Northampton shoe making (and dedicated a whole page to their shoes). 

d) the sheer unjustifiable expense of their shoes and gravity defying price increases in recent years ... the spread between their shoe prices and the other Northampton shoe makers (apart from Edward Green) has grown hugely, for a shoe which is perhaps finished somewhat better but shares similar or the same manufacturing techniques (others with more knowledge can perhaps correct me on this if there are some key differences, I cant work them out personally as they are a machine made shoe at the end of the day). iGents like to infer quality from price.

Last edited by Oldfruit1 (2013-09-30 09:41:05)

I have somehow avoided it, yet I do more walking than, in all probablity, any of you.  In seriously inclement weather I do wear work boots or similar, however.

Last edited by Oldfruit1 (2013-10-01 04:14:00)

Well, I think they were picking models that would best represent the Stella McCartney style and look. But we've been here before with anorexic models sporting a heroin chique/boy look.

I think that the sports' stars get their rates of pay from their share in the media business and advertising that they help to create - so it is just straightforward bargaining in the light of commercial reality. The cash is there because the IP will pay extra to watch satellite TV sports and buy all the sports' gear for watching 'stenders with an eight pack. So far as the rest go - I am fairly lost. I suppose that they get pay tied to ratings although how this works for the uncommercial BBC is a mystery. Jonafan Woss is a thick-tongued cockney gook and Jimmy Carr deserves to be kicked to a pulp in a quiet corner. Jamie 'Bung-it-all-in-and-give-it-a-good-stir' Oliver is another obnoxious goon. Then you see the leaders of the nation - Cameron, Clegg, the Miliband bros - my God what an absolute, bloody shower - all snuffling around in one trough or another!

Just a minute - on second thoughts - I'd be lost without: Brookside, Bonanza and Little House on The Prairie repeats on Sky; Russell Brand's jokes; newspapers' lies; Blue Peter; Crackerjack; Watch with Mother; Paxo's little tantrums; all the advisory commercials; Gardeners' Question Time; The Archers; Critics' Forum; Panorama; World in Action; James Bond repeats; Morecambe & Wise Xmas Special repeats (especially the Glenda Jackson, Angela Rippon and Andre Preview ones); Jamie's recipes for boiled eggs; Mrs Diana Gould talking Thatcher down; Posh Becks' snarl; East Enders live, and the nine o'clock nudes (just as they are).