Common Projects now in store

Following on from the last post on Common Projects, here we are to let you know that this season's shoes have arrived in store.

Five hole slip on:



I've discussed this shoe at great lengths with a lot of people. Its a classic style taken from early 70s California skate styles thats proved to be a timeless sneaker. They're produced with super soft nappa combined with fine Italian suede two-tone detail toe, tongue and rear heel details which does justice to the reinterpretation of such a classic piece. The staple gold stamp just tops off what we see as one of CP's strongest shoes so far.

Desert Boot



The Desert Boot is back, and available in light and medium grey. A classic CP piece but this season with a much lower sole profile and constructed from super soft Italian suede (above) or a washed Italian Nubuck leather (below). The photos speak for themselves, quality construction, refined design and beautiful materials.



Tournament low black



Ask me to pick my favourite piece from the store this season, it'd be a tough choice, but I may have to go for this classic CP Tournament. They're made from 100% Nappa leather, with a hand stitched sole and classic gold stamp. They're so simple it hurts. However, they're constructed with love and attention to detail, and the materials will get better year on year with every scratch you can achieve. Wear them with your favourite denim or some rolled up chinos, socks or no socks, they'll look amazing.

Common Projects

What makes Common Projects so special? After all, season-on-season they're arguably one of the most understated footwear collections available. With strict colourways, basic construction and minimal branding, it takes a trained eye to recognise them as a brand, but its simple to see they're a great piece of footwear. Despite their simplicity, they are managing to turn heads all over the world (including the likes of Becks and Kanye West), precisely by being so perfectly subtle in a world where the product and its production have taken a back seat to their logo.

I've spoken extensively about my attraction to raw denim because they're a blank canvas and over time it holds a visual story, a material that gets better with every day they're worn and every activity you do in them. I feel the same way about Common Projects sneakers.



The brand is a partnership between Prathan Poopat and Flavio Girolami. The collaboration sees the two men working together on a day-to-day basis via the internet and meeting either in New York or Italy (where the shoes are produced) when working on their latest collection. They fact they're handstitched to the sole of the shoe rather than being vulcanized like most sneakers on the mainstream market as well as only using the finest leathers and suedes shows an integrity and appreciation of artisan culture. In my experience, Common Projects last longer (and get better through the process) than sneakers produced in perhaps Vietnam or China, for example. This adds to the appeal of the brand, with both sneaker heads and people looking for a refined casual shoe both flocking and paying the steeper price tag for a design that is certainly not breaking boudaries, but offering a luxury product with subtle, elegant appeal.

The new season line will be hitting our store this week, and they're sure to be a great hit, so keep your eyes peeled for the web drop.

Denim, for a long time, was something I took for grant. I saw denim (jeans, mostly) as a great casual garment when I couldn't think of anything else to wear. However, I asked myself what now seems like a serious question one day, "Why would I want to buy jeans that look like I've already worn them?" I'm a firm believer in minimal wardrobes that contain stout garments that over time lose part of their identity and become a piece of your own. I can't think of a material that encompasses this idea as part of its natural lifespan than dry (or raw) denim.

I yesterday got my first hole in my A.P.C New Standards and its been a long time coming after wearing them every day for around eight months now and I'm not going to try and hide it. Cycling, climbing, carpentry and building fires are just a few activities I have done in these jeans and every stain, crease and tear is a scar of what has been an eventful and exciting eight months. With such a strong history of being a workwear and naval material, it should be worn every day, to do everything and anything. Don't be precious with your jeans and it will pay dividends. I've never been so attached to an item of clothing, and I think the hard work that goes into a new pair of raw jeans is why.

It'd be great to get some images together from customers who were curious, enthusiastic or uninterested in raw denim to see how everything has worked out 12 months on and the story behind their denim.



In attempt to maintain denim democracy, we also stock some great denim from Acne, Nom de Guerre and now Cheap Monday who are all making strong headway in the world of denim, creating details, washes and fits that are really defining them as brands.

(Photos of Louis and my jeans coming soon for anybody who is interested.)

Its been a while since we last updated the blog, and there has been a lot happening around the store with the emergence of nearly our entire Spring stock so we've been asking everybody whose visited our compact store to climb over piles of cardboard, bubble wrap and cellophane to look at the new products so thanks for putting up with all the chaos!

As well as the shelves, rails and drawers of the store bulging with the beautiful pieces you'd associate with early spring, so is the website is stocked with pieces from A.P.C, Nom de Guerre, Acne, YMC and Filippa K with new Common Projects, Tretorn and the arrival of Cheap Monday filtering onto the site gradually over the next week or so. There was also a drop from A.P.C of their New Standard and their New Cures so grab them whilst they're available because they're proving hot property right now. If you don't understand why we love them, here is my opinion on the matter: A.P.C New Standard

We also have stamps! With a local lad, Daniel Hayes, we're looking to constantly experiment and evolve our branding and engagement with product and customer.



We've had great fun and released a lot of anger stamping everything in store, so you'll now see everything from bags to price tags to the packaging of your deliveries if it will get inside!





(A parcel on its way to Carl in Sydney with some lovely pieces from A.P.C's Spring collection.)

Lastly, I've got to mention it being a big F1 fan, what is everybody's opinion on Bahrain at the weekend? The new rules look set to cause turbulence off the track, and very little activity on the track. However, its just the first race, and everyboy is still getting use to the changes in the cars, so lets hope for an exciting and inspiring season. We're fully behind Vettel and the Red Bull team so good luck to them.