LAIDBACK LONDON: handmade fairly traded African sandals
Entirely hand-crafted sandals produced in Kenya: the upper, sole and beads are assembled and stitched by hand in Africa.
Laidback London is committed to improving the quality of life of its African craftsmen, significantly impacting on their income and locally sourcing its raw materials like the leather and the rubber for the soles, which are cut and stitched by hand, just as the beads are individually applied.
The flavour of the collection is influenced by the traditions of various unique, authentic African cultures and tribes. Each sandal has a story to tell…
SOISIRE SOIEBLEU: limited edition products with a certificate of authenticity
Launched with the idea of using unique scarves to make unique sneakers, the spring summer 2013 collection now features a range of shoes in printed leather, in a limited edition of 977 pairs. Inside the box each pair of shoes comes with a document that enables the owner to request a certificate of authenticity. The serial number is printed inside the tongue.
Soisire Soiebleu started with the idea of creating truly unique accessories; each original, exclusive pair of shoes is hand-crafted, using individually selected, authentic retro scarves sourced from vintage markets around the world, or printed leather that is waxed by hand. All the scarves and prints are different and unique: no two pairs are the same. Made in Italy.

SWISS CHRISS: INNOVATION, RESEARCH, EXPERIMENTATION
Thinking, designing, constructing garments that are new in their own spirit, fabrics, shapes, without forgetting the original mood of the importance of the practical daily use of Swiss Chriss
The main feature in the design of garments is the innovation based on the first original element : the fabric.
every season, working in the textile companies, Swiss Chriss designers get in front of the machines with the technicians to develop a range of prototypes and research innovative blends and treatments. Every season exclusive new textiles are designed and produced to create supremely practical and innovative garments that consummately combine functional performance and style.
Research and experimentation are what drive Swiss Chriss, constantly widening the gap in comparison to everybody else.

SZEN: unique printing techniques for unique, reversible sweaters
Knitted prints and reversibility; unique garments but “double” at the same time because of their reversibility and prints (either plein and fantasy colors), are the distinguishing features of the product, the values that make the product different. Each top is a unique item, a canvass on which the expert dyers intelligently measure the mixture of shades applied by hand, calibrating the gestures and the quantities of dye used. When the garment is still only sewn on the shoulders, it is cross-stretched and printed by hand, at different stages. Each shade is applied in different phases, one for each decoration area, first on one side and then on the other. This is how a depth of colour and an unrepeatable texture is obtained: the different colours partially filter through from each side and can be read one through the other, revealing themselves from the edges and in filigree, creating an uneven and intense surface. Right and wrong-sides no longer exist: the reversibility of each top multiplies the play of combinations, cancelling the concept of season and trend.
