SOLE mates
In less than five years, Louis Leeman has become a shoe brand every well-heeled man has heard of. We catch up with the husband and wife duo behind the label
One of fashion’s most stylish young couples is husband and wife team Louis Leeman and Erica Pelosini. They met while studying fashion at Polimoda School in Pelosini’s hometown of Florence. Married for two years now, the duo is living proof that it is possible for couples to work together and stay together.
When you meet them, you cannot help but notice that, although the bond between them is quite strong, they are complete opposites. Belgian Leeman is soft-spoken, wearing an Italian-cut suit, accessorised with a warm smile. He seems happy enough to let his wife do most of the talking, although he loves repeating, “I love everything Italian”. Effervescent Pelosini, on the other hand, is a complete fashion girl, with her white ripped jeans and embroidered waistcoat, worn over a white top. Just point a camera in her direction and she’ll suck her cheeks in on cue.
In fact, Pelosini is a respected stylist, having worked on several editions of Vogue in the past. It was while she was working on these shoots that she realised there was a need for fashionable shoes for men. She called Louis, who was then working in retail and knew the fashion business well, and they both instantly knew that this was a business they needed to start.
It was an instant success thanks to its detailing, quality and fashion quotient. This was just before brands like Jimmy Choo had started a range for men — and, in many ways, Louis Leeman, though a young brand, was among the first to understand how to combine fashion with classic style when it comes to men’s shoes. Their first collection was retailed at New York’s Bergdorf Goodman and Hong Kong’s Joyce and also Dubai’s very own shoe heaven Level Shoes. “I think it was just a question of good timing,” says Pelosini.
Their creations manage to rework classic shapes by giving them a touch of fierceness — ensuring that Louis Leeman shoes are now a part of every well-dressed man’s wardrobe, be it in the form of their handmade leather loafers with heels and gold metal cap-toes or slip-on sneakers, complete with leather fringes and tassels. Louis Leeman’s Autumn/Winter collection is inspired by the world of Alpine Gentlemen’s Clubs and mixes slippers with mountain boots effortlessly. Details such as small pearls on slippers to give the effect of snowflakes, or Alpine landscapes in silk, hand-embroidered on slippers, add a unique touch to the collection.
Now living in Los Angeles, the duo count Kim Kardashian, fashion designer Peter Dundas, Olivia Palermo and Johannes Huebl among their friends — and of course, the men on this list often step out in Louis Leeman. You will also find Louis Leeman at all formal occasions — like on the red carpet at the Oscars. Musicians, especially, seem to love their shoes. “Musicians are amazing so work with,” says Pelosini.
Interestingly, they credit their time spent in London as a big influence behind Louis Leeman’s edgy style. “What I love about London is that it has such a wide spectrum of style, from Savile Row to Shoreditch,” explains Leeman. Wife Pelosini pitches in, “Louis has always loved Savile Row, and that is where his attention to detail comes from. They do classic with a twist.”
Leeman and Pelosini were in Dubai to introduce a new bespoke concept of theirs: travelling cobbler. Having recently opened their own flagship store in New York, they realised men love to come to the personal salon for shoes made to order. The brand’s travelling cobbler programme sees a custom-made trunk arrive in Dubai along with a Tuscan cobbler who will be on hand to assist guests with personalising their shoes. They recently visited Japan and there, it seems, personalisation was all Swarovski crystals. Their cobbler also recently visited London’s Selfridges. For Dubai, they have selected the brand’s signature interlaced slippers for customisation. And since it takes just six weeks for these shoes to arrive, they are literally made for the holiday season.
As an ambassador for the fashion retail site Farfetch, Pelosini was in Dubai for almost a week attending all the fashion dos including the Cartier polo match. Don’t be surprised if she is back again soon to style a fashion shoot. After all, she recently styled the shoot for Hong Kong’s most famous luxury store, Joyce, and says working at Louis Leeman has made her understand styling better. “I used to work mainly with the press, so I’ve always had a really good understanding of what the media is looking for. But we are a retail brand, so I now understand that well too.”
As of now, the creative and retail aspects are looked after by Leeman. One of the perks of the job is that they get to travel together. “It will really help with our next project — having a baby. Then we get to travel together with the baby!”
sujata@khaleejtimes.com