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The fashion thread

I read this article online earlier and now really want a pair of these shoes.

Why the super rich are lining up to buy these £700 shoes

Ready to put your best foot forward? For billionaires’ wardrobes, less is very much more

ByStephen Doig18 February 2022 • 5:00am
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It’s tiring being part of the international super elite. Yachts to buy, space missions to complete and the constant threat of being nudged off your gilded perch by the Next Big Thing. So your average male billionaire certainly doesn’t want to spend time thinking about his shoes, which is why Loro Piana’s range of footwear has become an absolute go-to for a certain kind of man-about-town.

The Italian brand, if you haven’t heard of them, are known for their exceptional fabrics; the best cashmeres and vicuna on earth, sourced from the mountains in Peru and plains of Mongolia. The house, which was founded in 1924, is a go-to for a certain strata of society - a camel vicuna coat will set you back £15,000.

Which is why a relatively unassuming, classic kind of shoe – called the Open Walk, with a lighter variety called the Summer Walk – has become ubiquitous with the super rich.

They played a starring role in the final episodes of Succession, where Kendall Roy is slowly unravelling in Italy but dressed impeccably.

Kendall Roy rocking a pair of Loro Piana’s Summer Walk shoes in Succession CREDIT: HBO
They’ve also appeared on the feet of watch CEOs and art world movers and shakers – at a superyacht regatta I attended pre-pandemic in Sardinia (it’s a hard life) I clocked more than half a dozen pairs on the feet of the jet set.

With versions in suede or leather, with a contrasting cream sole, they speak volumes with their discretion; unbranded, low-key, beautifully made but recognisable to those in the know. If you’ve watched the enthralling Tinder Swindler documentary on Netflix, you’ll know that those with the least claim on the super rich lifestyle wear the flashiest clothes.

The opposite is true when you’re an actual billionaire; the fabrics and materials are second to none, but the clothes – and the shoes – don’t shout.

It’s remarkable just how much dress codes have changed for that demographic. In the Eighties, a sign of success was the Wolf of Wall Street aesthetic; tailored pinstriped suit (preferably bespoke), striped shirt (with your initials stitched on, naturally) and the full roster of gel-slicked hair, heavy duty watch, cufflinks and gleaming Oxfords.

The Open Walk Ankle Boot - £740
Now, it’s about paring things back as much as possible (unless you’re Jeff Bezos, who dresses like he’s ready for a night out in Ibiza town) – anonymous but expensive. Take Mark Zuckerberg’s predilection for identikit grey T-shirts, or the late Steve Jobs’ reliance on minimalist black polo necks. So what can mere mortals like ourselves take away from this?

Well for one, buy less and better – most of us can’t stretch to Loro Piana or Brunello Cucinelli cashmere, but it’s worth investing in the best quality of fabric you can afford. Secondly, the old tropes of what made up “smart” attire are no more – casual moccasin-style shoes can be as effective in formal set ups as more traditional varieties. Likewise you don’t need a suit to lend presence; try a neat bomber jacket instead of a classic blazer, for example.

Finally, from Savile Row to the monolithic fashion houses in Milan, sales of shirts are in decline and in their place men are opting


I love Italian fashion.
 
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