Antonino Biondo

Andy Warhol, John F. Kennedy, Pablo Picasso, and Frank Sinatra all had something in common – and it’s not just celebrity. They all, at one time, walked in a pair of Berluti shoes. And if shoes communicate something personal about their wearer (as Olga Berluti, third generation of the shoemaking dynasty, once asserted), what might we have learned by looking at these men’s footwear? For example, the bespoke, square-toed loafer commissioned by and designed for Warhol in the 1960s reflects the American artist’s famously subversive attitude. That loafer design, by the way, has since entered Berluti’s permanent collection, appropriately called the Andy, and become a house classic.

Founded more than 250 years ago as royal whipmaker to King George III, luxury goods manufacturer Swaine has long since moved beyond its equestrian origins, expanding into leather goods, hats, and umbrellas – all rigorously handmade in Britain. In many ways, the business has operated as a luxury conglomerate before that was a thing, undergoing several transformations since its establishment in 1750. Today, leather accessories remain at its heart, complemented by the later acquisitions in the mid-20th century of Herbert Johnson headwear and Brigg umbrellas. Despite a stellar client roster – from Queen Victoria to Tsar Nicholas II of Russia – and a history of outfitting some of cinema’s most enduring characters, the brand remains defined by discreet understatement.