John Lobb’s new Hong Kong flagship shop shows exquisite craftsmanship

The English shoemaker John Lobb has a new flagship shop in Hong Kong. The store at Landmark Prince’s in Central embodies the exquisite craftsmanship of the London store. Guests enjoyed the opportunity to interact with the house’s artisan and learn about their shoemaking traditions. We sat down with artistic director and bespoke artisan, Paula Gerbase, about her design philosophy and creative vision.

Do you approach womenswear and menswear differently?

They are quite similar. You start with leathers, raw materials and a photograph a lot. I photograph a lot. I take a lot of nature photos that I take to the leather specialist, then we work on the colour, the tone and the texture. The collection develops from there, and I start to think about what shapes would suit that particular leather. So the approach is quite similar in this sense. But looking at the archives, drawing and details – women’s are more playful.

What sets John Lobb apart from the competition?

It’s our quality, integrity and the way that we treat our products and our customers, respect for the artisans, and value for modernity, of course. I think we are very aware that we are providing a service, and ultimately we want to make sure the customers are comfortable with every aspect. That is refreshing for me as a designer. We are very uncompromising when it comes to leather – even with the highest quality leathers, we only pick the best batch. I think having worked with other companies, this really sets John Lobb apart. There’s a sense of pride in our house that honours our artisans.

Do you feel customers today are savvy about the differences between something that is mediocre and of high quality?

I think so. I think it’s becoming more so. People are so well-informed that it’s very difficult to hide when something is badly made and not what it says it is. It’s very easy to get that information. I think it’s a great thing being in a company that does aspire to be the best in terms of quality because our customers are very demanding – and so are we.

Being a female designer for the majority of menswear brands, does it give you a different perspective?