A new collaboration between British shoe brand Duke + Dexter and streetwear brand Made by Mensa promises to add some flare to your footwear.
Collaborations. It’s the big thing now. Whereas once companies were happy to strive solo, now they’re partnering up, and the marriage of inspirations and disciplines can be very exciting. Take storied British footwear brand Duke + Dexter for instance. The company has done pretty cool mash-ups – including a recent project with Snoop Dogg – as it evolves from stuffy British heritage brand to cool luxury essential.
Its latest link-up, with British streetwear brand Made by Mensa, sees D&D’s loafers and Chelsea boots adorned with striking works by up-and-coming British artist and rapper L3, a member of the Essie Gang Collective led by London artist Octavian.
However, there’s more than just celebrity appeal; Made by Mensa’s coveted ‘suicide smile’ motif, which features on all designs, is a reference to founder and creative director Mensa’s past struggles with mental health. In fact, in contrast to mass streetwear brands, Mensa’s lines are all limited releases, are handstitched and hand-printed, and each collection also has an emotional message as an underlying theme.
And you thought they were just good-looking shoes.
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