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2017.10.24 update

[Interview] William Church | The Dawn of a New Era in Men's Shoes by JOSEPH CHEANEY（2/2）


Stories that appeal to Japanese tastes are also very moving.

William's skill in quickly developing teenagers is certainly impressive, given his MBA and experience at the international real estate firm Jones Lang LaSalle, but I was particularly amazed by the novelty of the collection (William joined Church's after working at the aforementioned company for a little over five years, hoping to apply his advanced business skills to the family business).
While its reputation is already established in the fashion industry, in short, it is delivering the most outstanding solution to the theme of modern classic.
As you may know, Northampton was synonymous with dress shoes or, for a more casual look, country shoes. While that classic style will never go out of fashion, it's true that it felt a little lacking when considering modern attire such as jackets without interlining or styling with jeans without a tie.
The subtle changes JOSEPH CHEANEY made to the leather, patterns, sole thickness, and welt protrusion of his dress shoes, while seemingly minor, actually had the power to create an atmosphere distinctly different from conventional dress shoes. His collection even exuded a certain fashionable flair.
"I launched the design team at the same time I became CEO."


While the presence of a team, unusual for a shoe factory, is noteworthy, what truly stands out is their design work, which is firmly rooted in tradition. The aforementioned 125 last is based on the 2003 last, combined with the tight heel cup of the 6184 last, and the 1886 last was created to commemorate the current factory's 100th anniversary, with a modified version now added back to the lineup. In the direction of modern classic, which could easily come across as frivolous, they avoided such blunders thanks to the solid foundation provided by history. Their ability to select the right elements at the right time from countless archives is also something to be praised.
If the Imperial Collection had been their main focus, they might never have been able to escape being second to brands like John Lobb, Edward Green, or Church's . However, that was a kind of trial balloon to showcase the capabilities they had cultivated through OEM manufacturing. And their true aim was to create an unprecedented genre through the renovation of their backyards.
" JOSEPH CHEANEY had so much potential and could do so many things. When we welcomed him into our home, he was just a baby who had only recently started crawling."
Church's acquired JOSEPH CHEANEY in the 1960s, and the president at the time was William's father. The story of the son buying it back again is somehow a story that appeals to Japanese tastes, and it's a good one.

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With approximately 1.2 million possible combinations to choose from, we are holding a "1 of 1" personal order event, bringing together the spirit and technology of our 130-year-old company.


JOSEPH CHEANEY Order Event □ October 25th (Wed) - 31st (Tue)
□ Isetan Shinjuku Store, Men's Building B1F = Men's Shoes ■ Price: 116,640 yen ■ Delivery: Approximately 3-4 months later

Text: Takegawa Keiji
Photo: Eto Yasunori

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Isetan Shinjuku Store, Men's Building , B1F = Men's Shoes
03-3352-1111 (main representative)

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