TOP OWENS F/W2019

TOP OWENS GRANTS FFM FULL ACCESS TO THE SET OF THEIR 

FW19 CAMPAIGN SHOOT 

(EXCLUSIVE)

photo by Sean Watters

jacket by David Hart

His career in the men's luxury shoe industry spans over twenty years. And though his humble beginnings started in his native country China, Owen Jiang realized that he had to take his quest for knowledge to Italy. There he would be trained by some of the very best shoe artisans, and would further develop his skills of becoming a great cobbler.

For quite sometime, Jiang has had his own aspirations of what imprint that he would like to make in the industry. He wants to give his customers only the best of the best. His goal is to create smart, well made, fashionable shoes. Since the launching of his brand in 2015, the materials that he has always used in each shoe has come from Italy. Environment friendly, each pair of  shoes have been hand sewn. Glue is never used

The ambitious shoe artisan also has yet another vision. To shake up the menswear shoe industry, and make hand crafted designs more relatable to the masses. Often times when a consumer hears that a piece has been hand sewn, they almost instantly start thinking of the price. The Top Owens brand doesn't shy away from the fact that their shoes run anywhere between $800 to $1500 dollars.
Sure, it is a hefty penny for most, but the company hopes that you will look at the bigger picture. Owning a pair of these shoes, will not only be a great investment, but another perk about the styles of the shoes is that they have longevity.  The shoes have the perfect amount of edge as well as classic appeal. You're guaranteed to have them for years.

Part of this shake up will rely greatly on the company's first campaign shoot. Deciding to cast a wide net, Jiang enlisted a Creative Director from the United States. That gentleman's name is Mykel C. Smith. In no way a newbie to the fashion industry, Smith has almost two decades of experience under his belt. His client list is quite impressive. His talents have awarded him to work with brands such as Coke, L'Oréal, Tracy Reese, The Marley Brand, and countless others. His lengthy history in the business has also allowed him to acquire many connections. An asset I'm sure his clients will never complain about.

(Top Owens shoes laid out for the shoot)
photo; Rudy Reed

 It is the day of the shoot (1/20/). I was invited to come to the location at 9:30 am. The Top Owens crew would be given the call time of  7:00 am. It was a cold and rainy day, which can sometimes be quite annoying the day of a shoot. The team was coming from various boroughs of New York, and traffic (both driving and public transit) tends to slow down commute times. I felt my anxiety rising for them.

Arriving at 936 Broadway (corner of 22nd), I find myself waiting for someone to unlock the door for me. I am at a luxury home furnishings store called MDRN (Intelligent Living).  Beautifully set up, I find myself trying to take in as much as possible as I head to the back of the store to be with the crew. Cool, Chic, and Eco friendly I learn that all of incredible pieces were made in Italy. Owned by Textiles and Design expert Warren Kay, the store has quite the list of celebrity clients. One of his most recent being Academy Award winning Lee Daniels. I was delighted to to learn that I would be getting the opportunity to meet designer with such the fabulous store. 

Tall, blonde, and British, Kay arrived to his business with a friend. During my brief one on one time with him (which was quite pleasant), I learned that before he got into textiles and furnishings, he worked in fashion. I mentioned my extremely short stint of working in luxury home decor, which lead us to discussing the similarities of both fields. 

"I put a fashion element in all of my designs. They go hand in hand," he says. 

Technology and the utilizing of space are others aspects that Kay has incorporated into his work. He has designed a new transformable modular system called Intelligent Living. The system allows you to transform a single-use space into a multiple one with the press of a button. The system is perfect for those who live in studio apartments.

The team was composed of a group of ten talented individuals. Nine men and one young lady named Drishty Empire (responsible for grooming). Despite the weather, the entire team was there. Running a tight ship, Mykel C. Smith covered all the basis when forming his team. Production Asst. and Runway Coach extraordinaire, Dimas Bravo was there to assist in making sure every detail was perfect. Making short films and taking behind the scenes footage are Film Director Jean Paul Dia and Tylik Hill. With ten years of working in the business, and with the responsibility to capture all the magic is gifted photographer Sean Watters. 

Words can not begin to describe the amount of stress that Mykel is enduring to make this project a success. This campaign will serve several different purposes. As of today, the Top Owens brand has had very little press, but that's to be expected from a young company. The images from this shoot will be released into the world. Wanting to create a buzz about a new product, the plan is to have these images seen in as many places as possible. Magazines (both print and online), fashion blogs, or even popping up on  many of the fashion savvy individuals social media feeds. The end result... Hoping you will buy!!! When asked the question about the demographic of the product, Smith explains to me that their target audience will be from ages 25-45. This will require bringing on a face that is not only attractive, but relatable to such a broad audience. Smith knew just the person.

Chris Fawcett has been in the back of Mykel's head for many years. Fawcett has always had a face that the Creative Director loved, but he just didn't know what project to use him for at the time. Fawcett himself has had a great deal of success in modeling. In 2012, Fawcett was photographed by iconic photographer Steven Klein as a pregnant man. Entitled Baby Boom, it would be a first of Shot  shot for Candy Magazine, the issue of this cult fashion magazine sold out extremely quickly. 

He took a break from modeling for a few years. Now he is back. Currently represented by Stone Model Management, Fawcett shares with me that he missed modeling but he needed time to step back, take a break and clear his head. This hiatus also allowed him the time to focus on his music once more.

Clearly able to adapt to weird situations to get the shot, One could easily say that this shoot will be a lot less weird that his one with Klein. 

The campaign shoot consists of 12 different looks all extremely different from one another. This was smartly done so that potential consumers could not only see the versatility of the shoes, but each look in some ways targets a particular customer. 

It was a who's who of designers used for a shoot. It was quite exciting to see which look they would put Chris in next, and what part of the store they would use as a set so that viewers can get an over all feel. 

photo: Sean Watters

sweater by Ricardo Seco, trousers by Private Policy, socks by Jam Sox, shoes by Top Owens

As if shooting a campaign was enough, Smith will be also introducing the Top Owens brand to the public in a major way. They will be showing during New York Fashion Week. Sean Watters along with Graphics and Retouching guru Marco Massa are under the gun They had very little time to touch up the images. But where there's a will, there's a way. They finished as promptly as they could. I know this because I wouldn't be able to share them with you otherwise. 

The images will all be on display during Top Owens presentation at Punto Space.

Located at 325 W. 38th Street in New York, Punto Space has been recognized as one of the top premiere spaces to hold an event. On February 6th, the space may have an event like no other. The room will be filled with fashionista, who have responded to their RSVP invitations, only to be waited on by an all male server team, to see a debut collection of fabulous shoes, and to not only ogle over model Chris Fawcett's amazing face, but to also hear him.

The band is called The More, and is Fawcett's baby. An infusion of eletronica, new wave, and punk, the sound is mysterious and sexy. And yes, Fawcett is front and center on lead vocals. For those of you that wont be able to attend, I sorry. But in the meantime enjoy a few other images from the campaign shoot. 

photo: Sean Watters
jacket by Sho Konishi, jeans by Swonne,  shoes by Top Owens

shirt and kilt by Mickey Freeman, hat by Esenshel, socks by Jam Socks, shoes by Top Owens

ADDITIONAL CREW

Production Director: Terence Pender

Assistant: Daniel Dease

Intelligent Showroom Director: Eduardo Silva

Written by 

Rudy Reed