Vision, Refinement, and Risk
At 1812, every design begins with a thought that demands to be explored. That spark must be shaped into form, translated into a three-dimensional idea, and refined until it speaks clearly. This cycle of experimentation, correction, and adjustment is the essence of our creative process.
Whether designing a shoe, a bag, or a garment, the path remains the same: collect inspiration, explore with imagination, give it shape, refine relentlessly, and allow it to evolve until the final expression feels true.
The work is not about perfection at the first attempt. It is about choices. Every line, material, and proportion is questioned, re-drawn, adjusted, and re-imagined until satisfaction is reached.
Creativity is not a single act; it is a rhythm of decision and revision. The stitching, the colour, the surface, the detail, as one it should work as well as it does as a whole collection and all must tell part of the story we want to share each season.
Mood, Material, and Memory
Each collection begins with the journal, images, references, and textures gathered into boards. These boards act as guides, collages of thought and feeling. One may hold colour references, another fabric swatches, another photographs or paintings. They are not rigid but fluid, changing constantly as ideas sharpen. Alongside these visuals sit books, vintage magazines, garments, and details collected from everyday life. Inspiration is everywhere, in art, antiques, architecture in a street photograph, in a film still captured on a phone. What matters is recognising the moment that sparks a thought and letting it feed the work.
Beyond Trends
Trends are not the focus. We design one collection per year, We do not follow reports or forecasts, nor do we set out to chase what is labelled fashionable. Often, when designers across the world arrive at similar solutions, the press defines it as a trend. True design does not imitate; it listens, it questions, it responds. At 1812 we believe in creating with conviction, not compliance.
Designing for the Luxury-Fashion Customer
When asked who we design for, the answer has always been simple: for the lover of art and the aesthetic. Not a demographic, not an age group, but for anyone who loves the look and proportion and understands that fashion and design are a language in which we want to communicate. Sometimes a piece feels destined for someone we know, a friend, a muse, a particular figure, but the guiding vision remains broader. We create for those who value expression and individuality.
The Role of Risk
No vision exists without risk. To follow instinct often means stepping away from expectation. The most defining work in fashion has always been born from risk: a silhouette, a proportion, or a mood that felt unfamiliar yet inevitable once seen. Even when risk brings controversy, it also brings clarity. It sets a direction. It is what makes design worth pursuing and to be brave embodies this.
Enduring Vision
Fashion has no fixed rules. There is no single right way to create. Originality may lie in the avant-garde, in refined classics, in sportswear, or in the everyday. What matters is knowing your vision and shaping work that is faithful to it. For 1812, the creative process is not about trends, shortcuts, or formulas. It is about holding to that rhythm of thought, material, sketch, and refinement a discipline of vision that becomes visible in every pair of shoes we make.
