If you understand why the Lemaire slipper sells out every season, you already understand what Tina Akerele is doing in Lagos.
IF YOU LIKE
LEMAIRE
The Piped Crepe Slipper is the most iconic shoe in the Lemaire wardrobe. Two pieces of grained cow leather sewn together at the front and sealed with leather piping. Elongated square toe. Crepe sole. No hardware, no logo, no ornamentation. Made in Portugal. Approximately $695.
Lemaire Piped Crepe Slippers in Leather Grained cow leather. Elongated square toe. Crepe sole. Made in Portugal.
Image via Lemaire
YOU WILL LOVE
KKERELÉ
Tina Akerele founded Kkerelé in Lagos in 2018 to explore what happens when you let leather do all the talking. The June is handcrafted from 100% genuine leather, upper and lining. Squared toe. Clean V-cut opening. Made to order by a local network of makers in Lagos. $235.
Kkerelé June 100% genuine leather. Squared toe. Handmade in Lagos, Nigeria.
Image via Kkerelé
Tina Akerele founded Kkerelé in Lagos in 2018. The name comes from her surname, meaning “small but mighty.” She works with a local network of leather suppliers and makers. Every pair is made to order. Kkerelé has a showroom in Ikoyi, Lagos, and ships worldwide.
Both shoes answer the same question the same way: can a shoe be nothing more than leather and form? No buckle, no logo that doesn’t need to be there. Both treat the foot as architecture. Both trust the material to carry the design.
The difference is where the leather is cut.
IF YOU LIKE
LEMAIRE
Lemaire Piped Crepe Slippers in Leather ~$695.
Christophe Lemaire and Sarah-Linh Tran built their house on the principle that restraint is a form of luxury. The Piped Crepe Slipper has been in continuous production for years, evolving through materials and colorways but never changing its fundamental proposition: two pieces of leather, one seam, one shoe. It is made in Portugal using LWG Gold-certified leather. The fashion industry calls this "quiet luxury." Lemaire was doing it before the phrase existed.
Image via Lemaire
THEN CHECK OUT
KKERELÉ
Kkerelé June in Leather $235.
Akerele designs every shoe herself and produces them through a local network of makers in Lagos. There is no factory. There is no outside manufacturer. Each pair is made to order, handcrafted from locally sourced leather. She is building what she calls "a world-class, standardized manufacturing facility in Nigeria," not just for Kkerelé but for other African brands. The shoes are the proof of concept.
Image via Kkerelé
Share This:
Facebook
X
Pinterest
Email