Sleeves Magazine Men's Fashion Week Special Men's Fashion Week June 2016 | Page 163
“ You learn about control [ in architecture ]. Things can’ t look good on their own. They have to respect the environment they’ re in,” he says.“ I think that’ s a very interesting skill to transfer.” Certainly Vanassibara’ s shoes do look good on their own, but perhaps that’ s a happy accident. The attention to functionality, to sitting comfortably in a real-world environment, is clearly visible throughout the collection, from the ultra-breathable latticework brogues, like highly distinguished leather presentation baskets, to the hard-wearing vulcanised rubber soles prevalent across the styles, and it is this functionality that informs the designer’ s every decision.“ What I try to do is make sure that my client has a better day,” he says, a charming, selfaware, slightly shy smile the calling card of his conversational style.“ It has to be comfortable, otherwise it’ ll lose its purpose,” Vanassibara explains, showing me the calf-skin lining and raw leather insole which aid transpiration in his collection.“ We have actually given you a sock!” he exclaims, delighted.“ Very luxurious, ok?” Vanassibara is in his element when describing the particular features of his pieces. He starts to talk so quickly it’ s hard to keep up, stumbling over words in his second language faster than most in their mother tongue in his glee to get to the next one. It is very soon apparent that he absolutely loves his work, which sounds an absurd