A stylish conversation with Matthew Cookson, Proprietor of Matthew Cookson Paris
Dear readers, as we are getting closer to the year-end festivity, the Thanksgiving and then Christmas, how can we not start to think about dressing up with the most stylish and impeccable outfit? Perhaps starting with an exquisite pair of classic leather shoes and a luxurious smoking jacket for instance? If you have no idea where to start, today I have a special treat for you. Mr. Matthew Cookson, the proprietor of his very own namesake brand which specializes in well-made men’s classic shoes, slippers as well as smoking jackets, he runs his own humble boutique in Paris.
Located in the 7th arrondissement, Matthew dedicates his effort to offer the best quality of shoes to his customers; with more than 20 years of experience in the men’s classic shoes sector, this entrepreneur-Englishman spends most of his time in his Paris boutique when he’s not travelling to suppliers, being hands-on to look after his boutique and his customers; his shoes collection stayed true to his root and the premium English shoe-making quality, with a wide range of styles from classic leather Oxford and Derby, to the elegant and luxurious velvet slippers. On top of that, the brand’s smoking jackets (or dinner jacket) making it to put one step ahead into the world of men’s style and art of living, using the luxurious materials with classic English silhouette, which enables one to get something for the festive season from head to toe!
To me, my curiosity about Matthew is his idea about establishing his own brand and boutique in Paris, what fascinates him so much about Paris and doing his business there? Also, when it comes to the classic shoe style, how can he maintain the Englishness of his shoes collection while adapting to the Parisian taste? Another thing is, why did he start the smoking jacket category on top of his existing classic shoes line? What is the intention behind? Perhaps these are questions that you have in mind too! Well, the good news is, I am glad to have this Englishman today, to talk about his classic shoes brand, the aesthetic and the craftsmanship and so on; without further ado, let’s dive right in!
My Modern Darcy: Hi Matthew, thanks for being here today for this conversation. First thing first, can you tell us what makes you get into the men’s shoes business at the first place, what fascinates you so much about men’s shoes making?
Matthew Cookson: I had always been interested in shoes, but having been in the business for so long I guess what keeps it interesting is that it is still essentially a handmade product and the best shoes are still made in Europe by craftsmen. No two pairs of our shoes are identical as the leather being a natural product is always slightly different from one shoe to another and being ‘handmade’ means that there will always be slight variations.
MMD: You’ve been in this business for more than 20 years, can you tell us why did you decide to choose Paris as your base to establish your brand (business) and boutique here?
MC: Paris is a fantastic city where the people appreciate ‘l’art de vivre’, good work-life balance as well as appreciating what is aesthetically pleasing.
MMD: Can you tell us more about the aesthetic about your classic shoes collection, how are they made (from material selection to craftsmanship etc.)? And what makes your shoes so unique? Do you have a ‘house style’?
MC: I would describe my style as shoes for the gentleman of today. Obviously, the style is fairly English but I have become influenced over the years of living in Paris and travelling around Europe extensively so the quintessential Englishness has probably been diluted as I take ideas from all sorts of different places.
MMD: In your opinion, how to identify a pair of well-made classic men’s shoes? What are the criteria?
MC: That’s a difficult one, I can usually spot that from a distance but I do spend most days looking at shoes! But the last is very important, as well as the quality of the leather and the proportions of the patterns, this can be quite subjective but the whole effect should be well balanced and harmonious, anything too pointy or square-toe is obviously a no-no.
MMD: With your English heritage, can you tell us what’s the distinction, in terms of shoes-making technique, in between the English and the French one? For your namesake brand, how did you manage to integrate both English and French elements into your shoes collection?
MC: The French men’s shoe industry is very reduced now but is left of it would tend to be influenced by the English or Italian style. I am influenced by the Italian shoe making, in particular, for my summer collection, because they are frankly better at making lighter weight shoes than the English factories who specializes in Goodyear welting, which is great for winter wear but not always suitable in the summer.
MMD: What are the three styles of shoes from your collection that is the most iconic for your brand? And why?
MC: Probably our ‘Piccadilly’ which is a whole cut Oxford that we have run for over twenty years, still a big seller the velvet slippers are also very iconic and likewise are very sought after.
MMD: As a foreign entrepreneur to be in Paris, what kind of challenges that you have encountered in the past, and how did you overcome them?
MC: Haha, French bureaucracy is a great challenge and no way round that, you just have to get used to it!
MMD: Besides classic men’s shoes collection, you have also developed a smoking jacket line as well, can you tell us what interests you to create this menswear category? Does it pave the way for you to develop a full ready-to-wear line for men in near future?
MC: I have started a line of gentlemen’s gilets which I launched in the summer in linen, and it will be having a line in tweed very soon.
MMD: When it comes to formal menswear and the way of dressing, how did you describe the difference in between the English and the French one? Also, why is there a place for men’s formal wear to exist nowadays when we were in a more casual and dress-down era?
MC: In terms of French formal menswear, in my experience, French men either dress in English style or French/Italian style. English tends to be closer cut to the body, and tend to have thicker cloths while the French/Italian style would be more baggy, and made with lighter weight materials.
Obviously, we are living in a more casual period which has been accelerated by the covid pandemic when people were at home for long period of time. There is a place for formal wear to exist today but it is definitely reduced compared to twenty years ago, and the rise of wearing trainers / sneakers is challenging, however, we are adapting this by making our own line with a range of high-end sneakers, using fine materials without compromising on the classic footwear.
MMD: Can you tell us more about your smoking jacket, what is the silhouette and what are the key features (such as materials and cuts etc.) that is special?
MC: The smoking jacket was originally designed to be worn after dinner while smoking (hence its name), as such they were made in velvet which is more comfortable than the more structured wool jackets that are used in the construction of dinner jackets (tuxedo), gentlemen would change their jacket to be more comfortable, and (having it) to absorb the odour from the cigar smoke. Over the years there have been different ways of closing the jacket, belt or frogging buttons, and some jackets were made with a more exotic fabrics such as paisley. My smoking jackets can be used as replacement for the classic tuxedo, they are fairly formally cut although they are more de-structured than the traditional classic dinner jackets.
MMD: When you hear the word ‘style’, what does it mean to you?
MC: ‘Style’ is very subjective and as such there is no style that is better than another. But discrete, well-cut and unflashy are all things that should describe a modern gentleman’s wardrobe
MMD: In your opinion, what is the most stylish way of dressing for a modern gentleman nowadays?
MC: Obviously everything from Matthew Cookson!
MMD: Besides well-dressed and well-groomed, what other qualities that a modern gentleman should have?
MC: Being well-mannered and polite are the most important qualities that any gentleman should possess.
MMD: If someone approaches you one day and ask you how to become a successful shoemaker and business owner, what is your advice?
MC: Think very carefully!
Special thanks to Mr. Matthew Cookson.
Image courtesy of Matthew Cookson Paris.