There’s no business like shoe business!

How well do you know your shoes, especially if you’re a gentleman with a penchant for the classic? You may not know the difference between an Oxford and a Derby, or a wingtip and cap-toe, but you do know that you need at least one classic leather shoe to walk you through every significant, formal occasion in life. A good leather shoe, in fact, will walk you through a lifetime, and it’ll age as gracefully as you.   As someone known to have impeccable taste, Hasnain Lehri knows a good shoe when he sees it. He’s worked amidst the top tier of fashion for almost a decade, with enough international exposure to build him the acumen of a craftsman. He’s got the eye for style and unfortunately he hasn’t seen a lot of it in Pakistan’s huge market of leather products, shoes included. Unable to buy classic leather footwear in Pakistan, Hasnain has now collaborated with Logo Shoes to develop styles that will take the market a step ahead.  

  “It took three months to develop the first collection,” the multiple award-winning model shared, in conversation with Something Haute. “We wanted to create a classic, luxury product for the masses and so we collaborated on 14 designs that are at par with any world class leather shoe.”   The collection includes moccasins and mules, Boho sandals and airy ventilators and generally a shoe for every occasion. They’re made from the finest quality calf leather, a raw product that, Hasnain says, is in abundance in Pakistan; it just isn’t treated and finished properly. He even shares information on the relatively new ostrich-farming that has begun in Pakistan and will introduce ostrich leather as a premium option too.     “We’re paying a lot of attention to detail,” says Hasnain. “The soles are customized according to design, there is leather shading and printing and we even have laser cut styles. I’ve worn the shoes extensively myself and can vouch for the comfort.”   Logo shoes, to go into the background of the brand, is a Lahore-based operation that has been in the shoe business for around 25 years. Beginning with bespoke shoes for men, they introduced a limited edition range for ladies in 2002, gradually expanding their market and territory. Logo came in – with a vision set by Mr Bilal Sheikh, Sheikh Zubair Saeed and Sheikh Hassan Saeed (now CEO) – with a determined goal set to reimagine the shoe business in the country. This season they took a step into high fashion with a Hasnain Lehri collaboration.  

“I’ve always been very creatively invested in the shoots that I’ve done,” Hasnain shares. “Brands that work with me know the extra mile I’ll go to get the right image. They know that what I say makes sense; it’s not nonsense.”

  It’s been almost a decade since Hasnain stepped into high fashion and he’s most definitely stepping into the right direction with this collaboration. As someone who has lived through sophistication and style, as someone who is quite the epitome of style and sophistication, he brings a lot to the drawing board. It most definitely reflects in the shoes he has designed for Logo.   “This is a celebration of style,” he says. “It’s classic and timeless and has no age bracket or time limit. When you look at the Royal family, even the little boys will be dressed in a classic manner, in tiny Oxfords. Teenagers anywhere in the world will need that one pair of classic shoe for formal occasions.   He’s offering a lot more with this debut collection, which will hopefully be a start to some new shoe time.