The Bite Magazine Issue 17

body of water in Southern Maine. The name means ‘big stretch of water’ and was originally named by a local tribe of Abenaki Indians. Sebago’s motto has always been to ‘make shoes for people, for who they are and how they live’.This philosophy has given the brand the freedom to create some of the world’s most iconic, handsewn foot- wear styles.The first stage of the process is cutting – after selecting the finest leather the pattern is skilfully cut using the best parts of the hide. The artisans then wield their awl, hand punch holes in the leather upper, and gracefully stitch the upper together using durable nylon thread. When the moc front is formed, the beef roll is stitched into place to strengthen the shoe. Once this is done, the sole is secured to the upper using a welt which is a strip of leather that runs along the perimeter of the sole. It’s stitched to the upper and then onto the leather sole to create a durable, yet flexible bottom. Looking at the Sebago Classic loafer, you would think it was only designed the other day. Although it hasn’t changed since the first one was stitched 70 years ago, it’s amazing how through hundreds of small steps along with the many pairs of hands involved in the process it has kept its unique authenticity. This AW16, Sebago introduce their collection ‘ Live Your Best’ which invites consumers ‘to celebrate their best moments, with the best of friends, in the best places’. To celebrate this col- lection further, the brand has retrieved handsewn styles from the archives including their very first creation, the Classic Penny loafer. ‘Live Your Best’ also features new modern, on-trend and rel- evant designs for men and women while styles in the Campsides and Drysides collections have been updated, making them the perfect additions for the autumn/winter season along with casual, easy-wearing designs that round out the seasonal offer. “Our heritage of crafts- manship and quality is inherent in our products,” said Joe Wallace, Vice Presi- dent of Product & Design at Sebago.“The Fall 2016 collection is a reflection of that, translated with today’s trends and our consumers in mind. We are very fortu- nate to have 70 years of history in the finest, quality casuals as a foundation for the brand. This season’s new collections pay homage to our history and continue to engage our consumer of today.” The archived handsewn designs have been reimagined to give consumers an opportunity to enjoy the best that the brand has to offer in craftsmanship.There are three particular styles that comprise the Heritage Handsewn collection: the timeless Heritage Penny, the modern Heritage Tassel and the stylish Heritage Bit. Designed in the 1970s, Sebago Camp- sides have catered for inland pursuits while the iconic Docksides presented marine-focused styles.This season Sebago adds a new style to the collection in the form of Camp Sebago, a seasonal and rugged casual line that is trend-right for today. Another new style, the Ronan col- lection features a New England classic silhouette on a natural crepe rubber sole while both Chukka and Three Eye options are authentic, handsewn styles for the younger consumer looking for a timeless footwear with a twist. Landon, a handsewn classic silhouette is an update to the Campsides collection available in a Chukka or Four-Eye design, in rich, sea- son-appropriate materials with additional comfort features. Lastly, theVershire style consist of three rugged designs featur- ing handsewn construction and genuine leather welt, including a laced-up Chukka, Penny and Three-Eye, all set on a rugged lug sole. For women, there is the New Plaza style that revives the iconic Classic loafer sil- houette with a slimmer last and comes in a range of premium full grain leather uppers. Sebago Drysides, the brand’s waterproof product moniker includes seam sealed construction and water- proof leathers while Nashoba High Boot and Nashoba Chelsea provide sophisti- cated silhouettes beautifully detailed in rich leathers for winter. Made in Portu- gal from enriched leathers with beautiful burnished finishing details, the Laney collection combines rugged casual with hip styling for fashion-forward consum- ers. For example, the Laney Mid-Boot is a moto-inspired short boot perfect for the season. The Hutton collection retains its menswear inspiration for the third season in new retro and versatile ankle boot, Hutton Zip Boot. “Sebago’s message remains strong and is reflected in the quality and craftsmanship of our products,” said Kerry Lawton, Sebago’s Global Marketing Manager. “Sebago is authentic to its heritage and legendary in its craft, and will continue to deliver timeless fresh designs with the level of quality that our consumers demand.” Sebago also has clothing options for men and women including hoodies, jackets, button-down shirts, twill and checked shirts, jumpers, shorts, trousers, dresses, tops and blouses. Their stores can be found in the UK, France and Germany as well as the United States. www.sebago.com/uk Images courtesy of Surgery PR bite men