In the hot seat with Andrew Thompson - Founder of Design consultancy Fable Footworks

Andrew Thompson is Founder of Design consultancy Fable Footworks, a London based design consultancy helping brands tackle sustainability, social impact and commerciality. Here we chat to him about Yogi shoes, 90s fashion and how music shaped his life.

Describe your personal style:

Overall my style is quite mixed and matched, 90s minimal meets modern day nomad. Blending cultural and modern influences blurring the line between sports and casual aesthetic. I love any brand that looks great and has depth with an interesting back story . I am also into anything functional/workwear inspired.

What was the first item of clothing you ever bought for yourself?

I think it was sneakers, in fact a pair of crisp blue suede Puma Dallas, which later I put a pair of fat laces in going for a maximum b-boy aesthetics. 

Any faux-pas you'd rather forget...?

Oh there are plenty of those, the list is too long to mention. I am going to save that for my memoirs one day.  I do tend to go the most practical to the sublime bizarre.

Tell us about the oldest item in your wardrobe:

I am obsessed with pre loved / vintage items, the narrative of the piece really interests me along with the craftsmanship.  I think there is an innate security in pieces that are built to last and look as good in 2020 as they did in 2010, or 1950s.  I actually have a cool collection of fading indigo Workwear  jackets  circa 1950s that are washed to death, some of them are imperfect and have holes in - I love this. 

This is quite interesting as we are seeing a collective shift in mindset to resaving and Vintage clothing especially amongst the Generation Z. In fact I did a cool feature on my IG (@fablefootworks) showing some of the fashion industry leaders pre loved footwear.

 

What's the most expensive thing you've ever bought, clothing-wise?

I went through a phase of obsessing over Visvim the Japanese artisan brand, I have a few investment pieces consisting of bags and shoes. Visvim pioneered  the whole sports, craft tech movement.

How do you style your Yogi shoes?

Yogi shoes are really versatile and they are also classic. I would pair them with a baggy authentic indigo work pant, ecru textural socks, earthy toned corduroy jacket and a cool sweat, maybe tie dyed or plain ecru.  Alternatively while the weather is still warm I would wear these no socks and athlesuire or workwear  shorts and natural coloured tactile tee. 

What do your Yogi shoes say about you?

Yogi shoes are timeless and comfy.  I like the way they look and they are a great option when rushing around on the day to day especially when your time pressed. Classic designs like the negative heel have a feel of authenticity and functionality at the same time. Overall my Yogi shoes embody complexity, simplicity and they are unpretentious which fits my personal aesthetic.

Yogi was born in the 90s, what were you doing, what were you wearing and what were you listening to back in the day?

The 90s was an amazing era for Music, fashion and culture in general. I was at Brighton college studying  Art/design foundation course and later Central Saint Martins studying my BA in Product Design. It already seemed the world was already becoming increasingly globalised even more so in hip hop and street culture which I was really into, it’s amazing to see how street culture has reshaped the entire high street - luxury models today. 

In the 90’s I was rocking sportswear mainly but did mix and match quite a lot. In regards to footwear I endured all the classic casual brands Clarks, Timberland, Dr Martens and Yogi. I remember purchasing a pair of negative heel derby’s from Duffer and St George in Covent Garden London. Still into anything that is screaming nostalgia and authenticity.

In regards to what I listened to I used to DJ a lot so I am into that many genres of music jazz, rare groove, trip hop, hip-hop drum and bass Seattle Grunge, rock amongst others. Personally I would mainly listen to 90s hip hop spanning from A Tribe Called Quest, The Pharcyde, Goodie Mob, Main Source, Redman, Gangstarr, D’angelo etc.

This season you'll be wearing...

Anything desaturated in colour, soft  and multi functional bridging that gap between the home and the office . I will  also invest in essential pieces partnered with any vintage pre loved pieces dashed with any accessories with cultural references.  

Who are your style heroes? (past and present)

There are so many style heroes that inspire me that it is difficult to name them without feeling like I have missed most of them out. Miles Davis, Andre 3000, Kyle NG (Braindead Founder) and casual Kanye West. TBH my philosophy is I mainly draw inspiration from friends, acquaintances and people I meet. 

What fragrance do you wear?

My fragrance of choice is Monocle scent one Hinoki is simple, unpretentious and smells amazing. I believe in finding or investing in the right scent is not only memorable but gives you confidence.

Which is the best dressed nation? 

I think Great Britain is the best dressed nation. We know how to be eclectic in our style mainly because we live in a diverse society.  I believe our transcultural influences definitely shapes our aesthetic. For example London has quite a hybridised street culture that influences a lot of designers worldwide  

What can we expect to see for Autumn/Winter?

As we are all living with this pandemic, generally lifestyles have seemingly changed abruptly. Work and home life have become increasingly intertwined for many, so I expect althlesuire and outdoor brands will keep pushing the boundaries to facilitate the new norm. I think we may see alot of innovation in clothing and footwear to make our lives more convenient. It’s actually a great time to be a creative or designer as there are so many design problems to solve, hence why I started up Fable Footworks. 

Which Yogi shoes will you be adding to your Autumn/Winter wardrobe?

I will be rocking the Finn negative heel in apricot, the heritage range is so dope and promotes good posture, something that appeals to me. I think these shoes will look even better when they age, I also juxtaposition between the crafted upper textural, raw and smooth matt gum outsole. 

What does #GoFeetFirst mean to you?

I tend to have a highly nerdy and emotional relationship with shoes as it’s part of my profession. Go feet first for me is all about setting the tone with an outfit and expressing creativity. 

How do you #GoFeetFirst day-to-day?

Gofeetfirst is central to my personal style I have managed to build quite a healthy footwear collection over the years, my daily go feet first is more of a browsing and rotating technique to see what feels right and what matches my vibe for the day. 

Why is it important to encourage others to #GoFeetFirst in their daily lives?

Going feet first allows you to elevate any outfit confidently, express individuality and shape personal style. Also facilitates rejoicing in being real, honest and having confidence- it’s infectious..

Instagram @fablefootworks 

Visit Andrew's website Fable Footworks here.