BRAND OF THE YEAR: VIVVANT LONDON | DESIGNER: JONQ-JIN KUO
“The answer to sophisticated footwear for the modern gentleman”
The idea of a gentleman is something that has fascinated generations of men, as they mirror themselves to the likes of the Michael Kanes and James Bonds of the world. Jin, equally, fell prey to the everlasting attraction of the well-dressed flâneur. Moving from Taiwan to London, swapping finance for fashion, he launched the footwear label Vivvant.
Anybody who has frequented London and found themselves strolling through the busy streets of the British capital will have seen the plethora of suits the city has to offer. Whether you’re walking around during a weekday or the weekend, suits are the uniform of the modern gentlemen. “People in Taipei dress for comfort, with the hot and humid weather it makes sense. You won’t see people wearing a suit in their spare time. This is one of the main things that surprised and fascinated me in London. How men styled their suits, was unlike anything I had ever seen before. Instead of the more traditional oxford shoes, you could see virtually any shoe matched with a meticulously cut suit, the key, I found out, was confidence,” says Jin. Pursuing his passion for immaculate menswear, Jin’s own style started to transform and this did not go unnoticed. “I started running a menswear blog, sharing my views of the London gentleman. I was simply capturing what I saw on a day-to-day basis. My blog gained much more interest than I anticipated, so much so that I was offered a book deal!”, says Jin. Yet in 2019, Jin took his street smarts one step further and launched a footwear label under the name Vivvant.
Vivvant translates to ‘living’, following the idea that shoes are meant to be worn and lived in, to the fullest. Vivvant is synonymous with impeccable quality, versatility and classic elegance. “Shoes are one of those essential items of clothing that everybody needs, regardless of their job, style or journey in life. With Vivvant, I want to design shoes that allow them to be their most confident and stylish self every step of the way”, says Jin “As an emerging brand, it made more sense from a logistical point of view to start with shoes. I can release limited designs, control the product better and in doing so ensure everything that carries the label Vivvant upholds the highest standards of quality and design.”
Vivvant works with a small family-run business based in the home of leather: Italy. By working with such skilled craftsmen every Vivvant shoe is enlaced with years of experience held by the artisans. Jin challenges the shoe industry by launching a small batch of unique designs from trainers to boots and classic shoes. This, in combination with the attention to detail, is what sets Vivvant aside. Take the Jacques boot, the strap is fashioned from a brown patina, adding a sense of grandeur to the shoe allowing it to instantly elevate an entire look. If you’re on the market for different colours, straying from the more classic brown and black, Vivvant is the answer offering the choice of green or blue leather. “The so-called modern gentleman is a fluid concept, it changes and Vivvant caters to those changes while staying true to its timeless designs, what used to be very strict codes of dressing is now freer and this is something we aim to embody, says Jin.”