A Look Inside Jacket Required 2019

Jacket Required breezed through Brick Lane again this year and as ever. You can take what you want from events like these. I normally like spending a bit of time with the reps and head of sales for brands to talk about what they're working on. What colour schemes are they bringing out in the new year? 

I try and divert from the arduous small talk about the woes of the high street. It's not a case of ignoring the elephant in the room, it just breathes negativity. Plus some of the brands are finding this to be a time of wanted change. Tom at Edwin told me that they are looking to open an event space in their Bethnal Green store as they need to capitalise on their square footage. 

Edwin are pushing a new selvedge denim release for AW19, deepening the visuals on their leather logo patches. I love the corduroy shirts and trousers they're also incorporating into the look this season. I saw a lot of corduroy on the rails this year, which can only be a good thing.  

I spoke to the Oliver Sweeney guys and they told me that they're pushing their green leather brogues and suede ankle high lace up boots this season. As many of you know the brand was in real dire straits not so long ago after the founder and designer Oliver Sweeney suffered a stroke that left him paralysed down one side of his body.

He's staging a remarkable comeback however and his designs for next season are already being bought up by enthusiasts of the brands and shoes-alike. Without them even going into production. 

Sperry had a great turn out. Lots of textured boat shoes, their colour palette is balls out this year. They've also continued their patchwork boat shoes, but now with the pattern going throughout the shoe rather being confined to the vamp. 

Lastly a shout out to a new shoe that's now on my radar. Sebago. There was no one at the stand so I took some pictures and did some quiet digging. Turns out they've been around for years and are renowned for their 'Docksides'. An iconic boat shoe worn by Pharrell Williams, Steve McQueen, Paul Newman and Kate Middleton.