Speaking to Marc Hare, the man who dreamed up, designed, produced and began selling his footwear brand, Mr Hare, in under a year, you get the impression that they had been inside him his entire life, waiting to get out.
“It was surprising we managed to get it done so fast. I came back from a holiday in August 2008, designed the shoes and in two weeks had spoken to production people. I had a very specific idea of what I wanted to make; beautiful, elegant evening shoes.”
Since 2008 the business has grown and Mr Hare shoes are now available worldwide, but as fast as it was to launch the brand, it’s only with time that Hare has perfected what he does.
“Making a pair of shoes, it takes years to see how the leather ages. I can only see the affect of leathers I use once we’re two years down the line. You only learn this through experience.”
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Marc’s Diary
Monday: In the store
Designing devastatingly handsome shoes for righteous style rebels was primarily my dream, although increasingly I have to rock the hat of a humble shop keeper, albeit an Independent Mayfair shop keeper with a treasure trove of a shoe shop and a styling online site. I like meeting the customers because no matter what I had in mind when I designed the shoes, they have their own vision and it reminds you how individual we all are, even in the same shoes.
Tuesday: Music
I am not here for a long time, I&aposm here for a good time. I rarely don&apost have music playing. How much nicer is a day in the office if all the tunes are boss? I love the sheer emotional jolt that notes give you. I love the infinite expression music has encouraged the creation of. I love the adolescent attitude music sparks up in my ageing body. Music doesn&apost even exist. It&aposs just a bunch of noises and poems caused by hitting stuff and speaking in time to the sounds. Just think about that for a minute.
Wednesday: In the office
What is a logo, or even a brand if the underlying components, details and beliefs of the maker have any reason to be called into question? If you remove the logo is the product at hand still a great object? Does it fulfil your every requirement? Is it still an unquestioningly luxurious thing? Can other people still see you have chosen well? You rarely see a logo on the exterior of a Mr. Hare shoe, so you know where I stand on this argument.
Thursday: Eating out
I absolutely love good food. As a rule I can cook better than most restaurants I can afford to eat at regularly. But not always, I know some splendid places to eat for £20 a head including wine. It comes down to love. If the chef isn&apost in love with the food, you probably won&apost be either. I&aposll order the simplest things in fine eateries because that is where the greatest demonstration of the art of cooking is evident. Dishes where you could find all the ingredients in your own fridge, but you could never make them taste anywhere near that good.
Friday: Inspiration
Looking at real things is a must. It&aposs easy to gaze at a screen and convince yourself that we are all much better off because we can see more stuff but actually we loose all sense of scale or place or context or emotion because all we ever saw was a picture of what we thought we saw. I often switch off my computer and feel like I lost a day, but I never had that feeling at the end of a good walk or exhibition.
The Watch
Marc’s watch is a Tudor Black Bay. Inspired by the Tudor submariner, first launched in 1954, it has a 41 mm crown and is waterproof to 200 meters. This particular model has a deliberately sun-drenched look, with the creamy but luminescent hands and numerals and a choice of either a fabric strap, woven in France on a machine over 150 years old, or a deliberately aged leather strap. “A friend told me that tudor used to supply the Jamaican Defence Force with watches so to wear the sun kissed version was a no brainer,” says Marc “I look at it and it reminds me of lying on a beach in The Caribbean.” tudorwatch.com
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