LAST year Rachael Cowdell shot into Melbourne’s fashion scene like a firecracker when she launched men’s shoe label harry&henry.
The collection struck a chord with its hand-woven maroon suede uppers soled in fresh white rubber, and grey and sky blue brogues with hand-perforated patterns. The well-crafted footwear helped Cowdell fill a gap in the market.
“I often questioned why men can’t have the same variety as women in terms of fashion from local labels,” she explains at her home-cum-workspace in Prahran.
Cowdell created high-quality, leather-lined and incredibly comfortable range with its impeccable attention to detail in an attempt to offer the males of Melbourne – and beyond – some stylish options.
Surprisingly, 29-year-old Cowdell has limited experience in the design industry. The myotherapist still practises her trade, coaxing away the muscular aches and pains of the local football team. Indeed, it was the boys in the footy rooms who gave her a “friendly nudge” to design shoes they could wear. That, and her healthy dislike of ugly footwear for men, inspired Cowdell to develop harry&henry’s first collection.
While studying at university, Cowdell worked for General Pants Co. and had a short stint at a women’s footwear label. But it was Melbourne men’s suggestions that helped steer the harry&henry ship. “There’s been a shift from canvas street-style shoes to men looking for sharp refined styles of shoe that are fashionable, easy to wear and, of course, a balanced mix of quality and comfort,” she says. “Ultimately a shoe should finish and complement an outfit, not detract from it. If you can capture those qualities in a design, then I feel you have the perfect shoe.”
Before each season Cowdell analyses the season’s trends, styles and cuts. She looks to create styles for harry&henry with the ability to transition from day to evening and casual to formal, and to outlive more than one season. Leather selections and colour choice are imperative, as is ensuring the correct lace to complete the style.
“In winter I tend towards warmer neutral tones, with styles that sit higher on the ankle, whereas in summer I’m more adventurous with lighter and brighter leather colours, and styles that generally end at the ankle,” she says.
The label is a baby in the industry but, four collections in, Cowdell believes this is her best range so far. “It’s exciting,” she says. “The styles are diverse and refined, which I hope will appeal to a broad range of men.”
Stockists: Design a Space, 142 Chapel Street, Windsor, and 212 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy, or visit harryhenryshoes.com.
