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The burning desire of a streetwear fan
Let me introduce you to Mathieu, manager of our store in Lyon and member of the team for 4 years now.
“I've always been a fan of clothes. I think I got it from my father who, a lover of Ivorian clothing, always had crazy class.
Before joining the BonneGueule team in 2019, I regularly read articles on the media. I love discovering niche brands there and also the new BonneGueule clothing. When they match what I'm looking for, I fall for them.
I find the project very cool and, as the owner of a restaurant that regularly hosts small exhibitions, I want to offer BonneGueule a collaborative event linking my two passions: clothes and sausages (laughs)."
"So one day I entered the Lyon store and I met Kilian, an advisor (editor's note: currently responsible for our network of stores who, even today, makes fun of Mathieu about this sausage story), with whom We talk quite a bit. The project doesn't get done but we become very friendly around our common attraction for beautiful clothes."
Kilian and Mathieu, at the wedding of a mutual friend.
"After taking stock of what I wanted to do in life, I decided to sell my restaurant to join Kilian in the Lyon boutique. My mother always told me that between cooking and fashion, I I'll end up choosing fashion and they say you should never contradict your mother."
“If I had to define my style, I would opt for streetwear.”
“I also like to draw little inspirations from the 90s, from the greatest (editor’s note: literally) like Michael Jordan or the Prince of Bel Air.”
"So, obviously, I'm on the sneaker team. I have a collection of Converses that I've maintained for 10 years now. I especially like when sneakers have a cool volume and something special in their design. But What I like less is when everyone has the same ones on their feet. I prefer to find the pair that others don't have and I tell the story of my find.
For example, I always loved Adidas Samba and now I see them everywhere... It's frustrating, but the other day on Insta, I found a guy who customized them by sticking Vibram soles on them . I asked him for a direct quote!
Like my sapper father, I can go far with colors (laughs). So, I like sneakers that go with everything, so I can have fun with the rest of the outfit without worrying too much. "
“When I buy a pair, I want to be able to wear it with a hoodie or a blazer, without counting the colors.”
Hoodie, raw jeans, pink t-shirt and white BonneGueule jeans . Mathieu measures 1m93 and weighs 96kg. He wears XXL on top, 36 in jeans and 45 in sneakers.
“I find that gray running shoes are great for that. We have both the advanced design and the all-purpose look.”
“I have a pair of New Balances in this color and I wore them all the time but everyone has this one too.
So when in 2022, the product team asks in-store teams to imagine their own pairs of sneakers, I don't think long about my first proposal."
- Mathieu, Store Manager in Lyon
Drawing your ambition, first step in creation
In 2022, our advisors and
Each advisor works on his proposed combination of materials and colors. At the end, the team agrees to select and make one favorite pair per store.
Proposals are made by filling in the outline of a common design, imagined by a specialist designer, monitored by our product team and widely approved in our stores.
A blank canvas prepared by a big name in the industry
For the design, we called on Nicolas, a stylist specializing in shoes who has worked for great brands and who had already designed our moccasins. Based in Brussels, he is also a fan of sneakers.
“Drawing sneakers is a job that cannot be improvised : thinking about the shape, the proportions, the inserts, noticing every detail…”, lists Benoît. “We loved working with someone who had this sensitivity. It was extremely enriching.”
"I really wanted a running pair, because that's what I like to wear every day. It's super comfortable, super practical, all-terrain. And what's more, it goes with everything. It's a sneaker contemporary and Swiss army knife .
- Comments from Benoit, co-founder, collected by Nawal, editorial manager, in his article on our upcycled sneakers .
Sketches made during the design of our pair.
"At the very beginning, I know that I want to offer a pair of gray sneakers but I don't really know how to go about it. It's not easy to indicate colors on a sheet and imagine what it will look like at the end.
So I end up sitting down and I simply think about the gray running shoes that I have preferred in my life:
- What made them not go unnoticed? Answer: the contrasts between their shades and materials looked good.
- What makes them match so well with all my outfits? Answer: their gray combinations gave a rather clear overall and visually, it blended well among other colors.
So I try to harmoniously distribute variations of light gray, dark gray and mouse gray with mesh and suede leather. A few sheets later, I come up with a combo that I'm happy with and send it to the product team.
And quite frankly, seeing the colorful proposals from my colleagues, I tell myself that my pair will never be selected because they have nothing to do with it."
- Mathieu, Store Manager in Lyon
Drawing by Mathieu transmitted to the product team
Comments from Julien, collection manager
"When we look at Mathieu's proposal, we actually invite him to propose another idea of association for our January limited edition sneakers (editor's note: idea which will be accepted in turn, well done Mathieu). But not because we find this one irrelevant! In fact, we think it would be a shame to only make 30, from upcycled leathers which limit our quantities.
Gray running shoes like these would be very versatile and would appeal to most of our customers. However, we were just thinking about what we could offer to those who cannot come to the store for the launch of our limited editions.
So I send a message to Mathieu (editor's note: a pleasantly surprised Mathieu) to tell him that we have decided to keep his idea and take the time to develop it separately. By creating it from leathers freely chosen from our suppliers, we will be able to offer this pair in less limited quantities on our e-shop and ensure we find the right shades of gray."
- Julien, collection manager
And this last point is far from being an easy matter.
From colored paper to suede leather, the quest for your favorite
Make-up ? No, Italian suede leathers.
Sarah, Hélène, Landry and Julien from the product team are looking for suede leathers and gray meshes that will make a great combination among our European suppliers. Mathieu and Julien also like the idea of adding discreet touches of reflective gray fabric to give extra personality.
Position of the reflective inserts considered at the beginning.
What you need to find to create the Mathieu pair
- Dark gray suede leather
- Light gray suede leather
- Gray mesh
- A gray reflective material
Initially, the team wants to source both leathers from just one of our Italian suppliers to have them come from one location. She tries several combinations in their ranges, putting the samples side by side but it doesn't work.
"If we want the grays to look good together, they must lean towards shades that go well together. However, when you place several gray leathers from a supplier side by side, there is, for example, one that leans towards red , one on green and another on yellow.
These differences in color are subtle and are almost invisible in photos, but they explain why certain shades of the same color are pleasing to the eye and others less so."
Here, the leather at the top tends to be green. The middle one on red. The bottom one on the yellow. Personally, I have difficulty distinguishing but Julien recognizes these shades with almost worrying ease.
After several attempts, the team realizes that they will not be able to choose both leathers from the same tannery. The research expands and combines samples from several suppliers.
A light gray leather from the Italian tannery Opéra and a dark gray leather from the Spanish tannery Sanchez Agullo look beautiful together. One leans slightly yellow and the other is more of a neutral shade, making them a match. Both are made in LWG certified tanneries for their good environmental practices (the label controls, for example, the use of water and the energy used to tan the leather).
Everything works well with the metallic gray of a mesh found at Moron, a Spanish company known for the quality of its manufacturing. This mesh is 1.3 to 1.7mm thick on average, with a strong weave of 95% polyester and 5% polyamide.
Mesh with light gray Italian suede leather.
Loïk even offers a second, lighter shade of mesh for the tongue.
The team also found a reflective material from the company 3M, which is not only known for its post-its in the textile industry (don't worry, you won't shine in the night. It's above all for The detail).
Here, on the final pair, the small medium gray bow is made of reflective material.
All pieces are therefore ready to combine. Now you have to know how.
Assemble the right puzzle so that it seduces the eye
To do this, Julien places the colors on a technical diagram in collaboration with Loïk, a very nice guy who is also passionate about sneakers (he has more than 100 in his current collection) who has our prototypes assembled in his workshop in Portugal.
Here are the first attempts, combining Mathieu's ideas with found materials.
"We think they have too light a block in the middle. There's not enough dark gray in that area and the white stands out too much."
- Julien, collection manager
The team agrees on this last model for the prototype.
On paper, everyone finds it balanced. Mathieu likes it too. Loïk gets to work building the prototype with his workshop team.
Prototype #1
- Dark gray suede leather from the Spanish tannery Sanchez Agullo
- Light gray suede leather from the Italian tannery Opéra
- Light gray mesh from the Spanish manufacturer Moron on the tongue
- Medium gray mesh from the same manufacturer on the rest of the pair
- Medium gray reflective material from 3M
Here it is on the left, next to the final pair.
Have you ever arrived in front of a monument for which people have been queuing for hours and said to yourself "it's nice, but it doesn't break a duck's three legs either"?
This is exactly the feeling that Mathieu and the product team have when discovering the prototype at the end of its assembly.
“In fact, this pair lacks contrast and the overall result is too dark. The light gray leather should be brighter.”
- Julien, collection manager
Loïk agrees and the product team dives back into the ranges of the Italian tannery Opéra, whose colors go well with the dark gray leather from the Spanish tannery Sanchez Agullo.
And among the lighter Opera grays, the one that matches best is Nuvole 162.
" I love the duo between this leather and the dark Spanish leather. I think that's what we need for this pair to look really good. But we have a problem: this duo doesn't work with the color of mesh that we had chosen".
A problem that ultimately turns out well, because Loïk just has an idea.
He has a crush on the mesh used on the tongue of the first prototype. Remember: the latter is lighter than the rest of the pair. And finally, it goes better with the other grays.
Loïk therefore suggests to the team to change the light gray leather for the Nuvole 162 so appreciated by Julien and to only use light gray mesh on the entire pair.
He puts the prototype together and everyone crosses their fingers. Loïk sends spoilers to Julien as he goes along.
Prototype #2
- Dark gray suede leather from the Spanish tannery Sanchez Agullo: we keep the same.
- Light gray suede leather from the Italian tannery Opéra: we change it for the Nuvole 162, lighter, from the same range
- Light gray mesh from the Spanish manufacturer Moron on the tongue: we also use it on the rest of the pair
- Medium gray mesh from the same manufacturer: we no longer use it
- Medium gray reflective material from 3M: we keep the same
The prototype, finalized and received at the office, appeals to the team and especially Mathieu, who is happy at the idea of finally having the pair of gray sneakers that the others won't have.
And because our team created this pair for you above all, Mathieu and all our advisors are waiting for you in store to show them to you in detail. And if you prefer it to come to you, you can discover it now on our e-shop by clicking here.
Vibram Multigrip sole comfortable on all surfaces, breathable and absorbent lining with Coolmax technology, durable assembly, sewn and glued in Portugal... you will discover all the finishes we have chosen to make a pair that we enjoy to wear every day and which remains faithful to us for years.
