About John Lobb
John Lobb owes its reputation of excellence to its creator’s origins as a bespoke bootmaker. John Lobb started creating special boots for gold miners, with hollow heels to conceal the nuggets they unearthed. The bootmaker propelled by the success of the boots crafted a pair for the Prince of Wales and as a result was awarded a Royal Warrant in October 1863. He moved back to London in 1866 and opened a workshop at 296 Regent Street. A few decades later, in 1902, a workshop opened in Paris. In the early 1980′s, John Lobb introduced its ready-to-wear collections: new collections for a new lifestyle.
The selection of materials is consistent and highly rigorous. The choice of leathers is an essential step, as only full grain leathers are worthy. The surface of the skin displays the beauty of its natural grain, which must not show the slightest flaw. The requisite qualities include specific thicknesses, perfect suppleness and depth of tonality.
Every pair of John Lobbs is the fruit of a meticulous 190-step process carried out by highly qualified artisans. Pattern-cutter, closer, laster or polisher; each step in the manufacturing process constitutes a true vocation, craftsmanship defined by attention to detail, in which every gesture is important. At the heart of English workshop in Northampton, production methods are inspired by the traditional bespoke bootmaking techniques of the original John Lobb trade. Leather selection, assembling techniques and finishing take place following the same rules of the art. Every collection thus adopts the made-to-measure technique that is the core of John Lobb’s signature to this day.
