meet the designer john galliano wears and loves. "he's an english boy....he's very greta garbo," galliano told bridget foley in WWD yesterday. "he does that rough kind of tweed and stuff. i buy all my stuff from him. i can't get a hold of him. i believe he lives in england by the sea."
canadian born harnden does indeed live in england and has been designing for 25 years and is willfully obscure. his company, paul harnden shoemakers ltd., sells to a small, elite group of stores - dover street market in london, envoy of belfast in ireland, if in soho, l'eclaireur in paris and, of course, he's big in japan.
his handmade shoes aren't cheap - a pair of oxfords go for $2,500 - and he makes tailored clothing too.
he has buried shoes for a year to obtain the right patina. gotta love someone who has honed his craft for so long without yelling it from the rooftops & remaining successful. there is something to be said for enjoying a life well lived from the fruits of one's labor without sacrificing your soul to the fashion gods.