Designed by Barrie K Sharpe, these great shoes are inspired by pre war shepherds shoes and handmade somewhere deep in the north of the England. As a designer, part of his strength is that he internalises his wealth of references and applies them in ways that are true to his own sense of style; there's no pretence, no short cuts in this stuff.
Barrie is the man behind the brand Sharpeye. One of the first brands to really explore the design potential of blending workwear, sportswear and military wear. Over the years it's developed it's own language and distinct signatures which both separates it from, and influences so many of the brands which came after.
From East London - Sharpe is in fact his real name. From his days as a founding member and the key designer with the Duffers, to his legendary club The Cat In The Hat - which gave birth to rare groove and in turn the acid jazz scene, Sharpe has always lead where others follow. The irony is that despite being one of the countries unsung trend leaders, he's actually a bit of a classicist.
In an interview a few years ago, when asked who his favourite designer was he said Ralph Lauren, Like RalphLa, Sharpeye is a natural extension of the designers personality and as such connects with a mass of loyal and dedicated stylers from all walks of life - not to mention a few imitators as well.
Check out Sharpeye in the address above.
Also check out the classic rare groove anthem, Masterplan; directed by Earl Sebastian - in itself a lesson in style.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8L5l3UxCiw
