Late last year, on a wet December afternoon, Crown Northampton caught up with Tony Madsen-Sylvester in East London for a quick photoshoot of his personally selected, Made To Order Brockton Belgian Slippers.
Tony, currently working with Shoreditch based tailor Timothy Everest is no stranger to bespoke and made to order goods. Playing to the strengths of Crown Northampton's wide selection of available materials, Tony opted for a two-tone design combining soft Kudu suede from Leeds based C.F Stead for the majority of the uppers, and a supple shell cordovan leather from Chicago’s famous Horween tannery for the front and centre apron piece. Textured vs smooth, matt vs gloss finish, yet perfectly complementary - rather fitting for a man who lives something of a dual existence as a sharply tailored, stylist and writer by day, to a cut off denim short wearing hardcore rocker and frontman in Norwegian band Turbonegro by night. Whatever guise you find Tony in though and if you ever meet him, you'll quickly discover that he's an all-round nice guy that really knows his stuff.
Tony explained how he’d chosen the two contrasting materials for the then-upcoming party season, with the Horween apron panel adding a formal edge with a touch of extravagance to an otherwise more casual style that is the slip on the Belgian Slipper. Slippers, the leather-soled 'House Slipper' in particular, are an area that Tony is somewhat of an expert in or at the very least a well-educated enthusiast. He's amassed an enviable personal collection whilst working within the fashion and music industry and it's fair to say that he knows a thing or two about slippers and styling.
Finished as standard on a slim heeled leather sole made in Northamptonshire, the specific leather used for the centerpiece on these custom makeups was a black Shell Cordovan, one of the most sought after and noteworthy materials from the Horween Tannery, sourced from locally from leather merchants in Northampton. Shell cordovan is an equine leather cut from the rump of the hide, which is hardwearing and gives a high shine, making it perfect for dressing up or down. It's also regarded as one of the most luxurious leathers to work with in the footwear industry and is priced accordingly, further adding to its exclusivity.
The uppers were constructed from Kudu suede, an antelope leather known for its superb softness paired with durability. It's tanned by the world C.F Stead in Leeds, England and we offer their Classic Kudu Collection across a range of Crown Northampton styles.
Tony took advantage of our made to order system and chose contrasting, yet complementary, suede and leather to match his personal style. On this pre-lockdown shoot, his Brockton Belgian Slippers were worn with laidback cords in a unique purple finish and a chunky cardigan with accompanying accessories. The outfit as a whole perfectly displays the versatility of the Brockton style, which can be worn as how you see fit across a variety of different smart and casual looks.
Apart from that, we'll just let the images of the styling and Tony speak for themselves. You can see more from Tony's interesting and extremely well-currated world as @toneloki here.
More interesting, limited-edition special makeups available to purchase in the coming months. See our full Brockton Belgian Slipper Collection made with C F Stead leathers and suedes here.
Photography: Alex Natt
