ICONIC BRAND
Sarah Varley catches up with LANX founder Marv (Marco Vaghetti) to discuss what a successful first 12 months it has been for this very unique footwear brand
LANX shoes are as unique as the story behind them. An English shoe company with an international influence, Marv (Marco Vaghetti) founded LANX after travelling through 10 countries learning the art of shoemaking. Each collection is influenced by the countries he visited and the people he met along the way, from the finest South American leather and the orange insole reminiscent of the robe of a monk Marv met in a Cambodian temple, to the icons patterning the unique linings of each collection.
At the same time, the brand is intrinsically linked to its home in Whalley and the Lancashire area. Every shoe is stamped with the British White bull, a rare breed originating from Whalley Abbey, and most shoes in the collections feature a rose perforation on the toe inspired by Lancashire’s county emblem. These are ‘proper’ shoes that are smart but casual and designed precisely for the Ribble Valley business-casual style – jeans, a smart jacket and, now, a pair of LANX shoes.
Reassuringly sturdy with a twist of elegance, these are covetable shoes created in limited numbers, with as few as 30 pairs produced in certain styles. Collections continually evolve and the adventure continues as the expanded LANX team, now including Joe the events manager and Matt the designer, regularly travel to find new inspiration. Recent visits to Stockholm, Berlin and Porto are currently shaping designs for future collections.
“This year has been so busy – very successful, pretty manic but great fun,” Marv tells me. “We have formed partnerships with three of the biggest sporting clubs in the North West – Burnley FC, Lancashire Cricket and Sale Sharks. It has been really exciting to work with the clubs to create bespoke pairs of co-branded brogues for their players, staff and supporters.
“Having Joe on board as events manager has meant we’ve been really busy doing pop-ups at artisan events, such Altrincham Market, Knutsford Makers Market and recently inside Manchester Victoria station – we’re up to around six pop-ups every weekend. We’re also really excited to have some of the most prestigious county shows lined up this summer including the Royal Lancashire Show, Great Yorkshire Show and Royal Cheshire Show.
“Speaking to customers at events has led to another surprising development – a capsule women’s collection. So many women were asking for our shoes in their sizes, wanting the LANX look and level of quality for themselves, so we’ve modified the shape of our shoe lasts to create brogues and boots for women.
“Later this year we will be opening our first warehouse, shop and office at Mitton Business Park. It’s just 30 seconds’ drive from Whalley centre so we can still pop to CJ’s butty shop for lunch! It will be a great space for people to try on the shoes and have a beer with us.”
07801 616103
marv@lanxshoes.com
www.lanxshoes.com
