Today I feature one of my all time favorite fashion items, Shoes! although people think men do not have to fuss about shoes, those days are gone now. It's important to pick the shoes which go well with your look and outfit and in Sri Lanka is hard to find a good fit and for tall people. if you do find the perfect fit, it is usually not in trend, but now on Takas?.lk an exclusive collection called Ally’s is answering your cry. I absolutely loved the fit and the finish Today I caught up this partnership Maalik and Lahiru
1 What’s with the name Ally’s? Ally Weerasinghe is the founder of Almar Group, of which SSL (Service Shoes Lanka - the factory that produces these shoes) is a subsidiary. Ally Weerasinghe always enjoyed the finer things in life. Impeccably dressed and always in stylish shoes, “Ally’s" was the natural choice for the name of the brand - an ode to a stylish man and his legacy.
2 Tell me about the collection you have featured in this shoot. This is a collection of traditional and contemporary footwear. Providing the Sri Lankan consumer with a wider range of options from brogues to boots, loafers to sneakers and formal to less formal, Ally’s caters to the quintessential gentleman. Considering the limitations imposed by the footwear available in the local market, our aim was to balance modern design and impeccable craftsmanship while providing our customers with access to shoes they would otherwise have to travel overseas to purchase. With this collection, every Sri Lankan can happily wear a wold-class shoe - in terms of style, craftsmanship and comfort that is locally made. With Ally's the consumer can venture beyond their comfort zone and choose contemporary designs with luxury craftsmanship.
3 What would you say is missing in men’s fashion in Sri Lanka? Stylish footwear! Everyone I meet shares their frustration and their compulsion to by shoes overseas. Local consumers are limited to a variety of low quality sandals, elongated and outdated formal shoes and a few other imported low quality shoes. It’s easy to find an abundance of clothing, which means Sri Lankan men are increasingly well dressed. However, look down at their shoes and you will find them in shoes that don't match their style. This is solely due to the lack of availability of well designed, contemporary, quality shoes.
4 As a brand, how many pieces do you introduce in a collection? Do you produce custom made shoes? Each collection aims to increase the variety available to local consumers. We like to share a few classics, a few contemporary designs using innovative material and also a few shoes that serve a dual role such as formal loafers that would easily move from a workplace to a night out and even extend to the weekend. Custom made shoes isn’t something we’re focussing on right now but perhaps a consideration in the future.
5 Tell me the story, what prompted you to start this? This is a long answer - to keep it brief, the lack of well crafted stylish shoes in the local market was definitely a catalyst.
6 I know you are online now, and it is a difficult platform to market a product in, therefore, would you be moving into a retail platform? While online might be thought of as difficult, many younger consumers prefer to buy online for a number of reasons, therefore given the audience we’re catering to, I am confident that an online platform is a good place to start. Also, for those less inclined to shop online, the products are available through a few select retail platforms such as Hameedia’s and Odel. In the future, a dedicated retail platform is likley.
7 Why do you think it is hard to find Stylish men’s footwear in Sri Lanka and why aren’t they available in a wide variety of sizes? The local shoe industry has not made any effort to reinvent itself and become contemporary. Both the shoes made here and imported are all similar, use cheap material and were probably stylish many decades ago. At Ally’s we would like to show the local market that elongated shoes in one particular design is not what is trending in the international market and allow the consumer to choose from a range of shoes that is on par with stylish shoes found anywhere in the world, especially in fashion capitals such as London and Milan. Also, at Ally’s we use the very best leathers, and continue to innovate with the finest soles using leather and other materials that aren’t common in the local market. Most shoes, even more expensive leather shoes found in the local market use plastic soles, that significantly reduce the overall quality of the shoe. As for sizing, because many of the shoes are imported from low quality suppliers who focus on volume, they cater to one particular market segment alone.
8 What is the process of creating and marketing your design? You design inspiration. Whether it’s music, art, style icons or films, there is always inspiration to be found. Each shoe has been influenced by a number of sources of inspiration, capturing an array of unique finishes and techniques along the way. Because our designers have extensive knowledge and experience in the footwear industry we are constantly experimenting with techniques, treatments and the quality of leathers, creating an eclectic mix of shoes and boots. Our head of product development has worked with leading footwear brands and is always current in terms of design and materials used. We strive to innovate, surprise and push boundaries in footwear design.
9 Who do you envision wearing you work? Do you think about this when you work on designs? We are creating shoes for the quintessential gentleman who is looking for stylish, well crafted shoes using only the best materials.
10. What would you say is the trend for 2017? Definitely sneakers and formal shoes with less formal soles. But also the use of innovative sustainable materials such as crepe rubber I also spoke to the front man of Takas.lk about Ally’s 1.) What makes Takas.lk tie up with Ally's? Takas currently have a stellar relationship with great brands! Ally's is one such amazing brand coming up with an incredible product. Its very hard to find a quality gents shoe in Sri Lanka which is value for money. We jumped on the chance of being an outlet to Ally's to sell the product to our consumers across the island. 2.) AS its new on your online space how has the feedback been? Things have been flying off the shelf at takas so far. This is with essentially no marketing at all. The quality of the shoe essentially speaks for itself, and we have had a great run so far. 3.) Are consumers okay with buying online without trying them on? There is a challenge on sizes, but we do free returns if the size is not just right. We also take a lot of the guesswork out by putting a size chart. Ally's is made to international standards so the size chart is very accurate. I buy my Ally's online.
Designer – Maalik Aziz Photographer – Nuwan Thanranga Video - X IRIS? (Nuwan and Menaka)
