Well-Heeled and Humbled: George Glasgow Jr. on George Cleverley's 2020 Success.
Chris Cotonou.
“Humbled. That’s the only way to put it,” admits George Cleverley’s CEO (and one-half father-son team) George Glasgow Jr., following the shoemaker’s success over the past year. The pandemic has hit bespoke makers in London pretty hard, but with perseverance (“and some luck”) George and his father were the only Mayfair craftsmen allowed to visit the United States since March: to see clients, give fittings, and pursue other projects—most notably, Hollywood.
The invisible seawall wedged in the Atlantic (which put a stop to trunk shows) has been a concern for Mayfair’s otherwise-roving tailors and shoemakers, many of whom enjoy fruitful relationships with long-time customers, or use it as an opportunity to advertise their wares. But George has some good news: “There’s clearly a heightened demand in the US for well-made English products. I was most surprised to see so many younger, first-time customers.” This means that once we get the green light, hopefully a hungry customer-base deprived of measuring tape and English chatter awaits out West. But that’s not a-given. George Cleverley’s father-son team have a reputation for being customer-facing, opting to build relationships with the biggest Hollywood stars and one-time shoppers. Why is this so important? “Dad’s been doing these trips for fifty years, and counting. The thing is, I actually like to get to know the customer… The more we learn from our customer, the more their creative ideas can inspire some of what we add to our collection.”
“and if you ordered a George Cleverley shoe this year, you’ll be happily surprised to learn it was probably, and uniquely, made in the craftsman’s very own living room.”
Another reason George Cleverley emerged triumphant is because the shoes really are handmade. Factory closures mean machine-made products (even in Britain) have come to a halt. That’s not a problem if every step of the process requires only a pair of experienced hands and tools; and if you ordered a George Cleverley shoe this year, you’ll be happily surprised to learn it was probably, and uniquely, made in the craftsman’s very own living room. “Our team had no problem,” I’m told. “It’s kind of a testament to ‘handmade’ when the technical constraints of so many other brands can’t upend a traditional craftsman at work.” And so, George Cleverley’s bespoke line was able to meet the customer’s demand. Factory work, in this rare case, were cause for complication — not simplicity. “Handmade is pandemic-proof,” he insists.
Perhaps striking is that many of these orders were not from the UK but from during George’s aforementioned American tour. The visit spanned one month and many cities—a gruelling trip by any measure—but one that he clearly hasn’t taken for granted. There’s a tone of gratitude in his voice as he relays how pleased he was to see customers, even as I remark on how tiring the whole affair must have been. “But you have to do it,” he insists. George clearly gets a kick from doing business, at any cost. It’s his family’s brand after all. “I worked very hard to get into the U.S. this time. Where we could’ve looked at all the bureaucracy and said, ‘not worth it’, we pushed and pushed until we got the green light.”
“What does Superman, Batman, The Transporter, and The Rock have in common? He laughs, “they’re all wearing our shoes”. ”
What does Superman, Batman, The Transporter, and The Rock have in common? He laughs, “they’re all wearing our shoes”. Cleverley has signed on to produce a special boot for the next instalment of the Jurassic Park franchise. The rugged, work-boot might not be something we typically associate with such a storied English shoemaker, but for George and co. that’s part of the fun. “Sometimes happy accidents happen and we pursue that shape for another collection. It’s happened before.” Aside from Jurassic Park, his team are producing the shoes for the third instalment in the Kingsman franchise, ‘The King’s Man’, which will feature on their long-standing range for Mr Porter x Kingsman. They’re actually the only brand to design for this line since day-dot, he notes over the phone, and “the largest British shoe presence on Mr Porter” with a new series of extremely soft deerskin shoes, including loafers in five different colours on their merry way. “You can only buy them on Mr Porter, by the way. Nowhere else.”
Why all the exclusivity? Surely, it’s best to have your products available everywhere, no? But that might not be the case. “There are George Cleverley shoes you can only get in certain stores, or even countries. This means that they become collectible, as our IWC x The Rake straps, or our collaboration with Japanese designer Nigo require the customer to seek the product out... By then, they have something no-one else does.” There are, in fact, GC shoes you can find in Harrod’s that the gentlemen at the Cleverley flagship store will be unable to offer you. “So, the customer has a story, a time and a place attached to their shoe…” It’s a strategy that makes plenty of sense, as today’s luxury brands do everything in their power to flood the market with so-called ‘exclusive’ products. They would rather say, “Sorry, we don’t have it”. And even with their Hollywood projects, George Cleverley is picky. “I can say that we get approached every two weeks for a film. But we’ve learned how to say no, unless it offers us a certain type of challenge.”
If George Cleverley’s success this year is anything to go by, sticking to your guns, your beliefs — confronting challenges with solutions — and saying ‘no’ from time-to-time works. “I suppose it goes back to my Dad in the end,” George Jr. adds finally, “he always taught me to worry about what you’re doing, not what everyone else is.” It’s a potent lesson. And one that many other luxury craftsmen may well want to heed.
