Winter 2020 Issue 40 Greetings season’s Greetings The News the Master’s Column the News 2020 QEST Cordwainer apprentice realises a dream QEST, or the Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust is a charitable trust which supports excellence in On one level, it has been sponsor Oluwamuyiwa Fadairo, the Qest Shoemaking Scholar for 2020, and you can read more about him and his placement with craftsmanship. Since 2017, the Cordwainer Charitable a start to my year unlike Freeman William Lobb on page 2. Trusts have offered a shoemaking scholarship any other, with all in worth £6,000. person events cancelled, We also continue to broaden and deepen our relationship with including unfortunately the footwear industry, which is going through a tough time at In a lovely piece of synergy, this year’s winner, bespoke our Livery Dinner in present. I am delighted that the Court has approved the setting shoemaker Oluwamuyiwa Fadairo, will be an apprentice at John up of an Endowment Fund to coincide with our 750th anniversary Lobb, the family firm of Freeman William Lobb. October. As I write, under the second major in 2022. This fund will be designed to provide money for students taking up internships and apprenticeships within the footwear ‘My first visit to John Lobb Bootmaker was in 2015 and the lockdown, it is clear that memories of seeing the process of making a pair of handmade and associated industries, as well as for start-up businesses. In the various electronic bespoke shoes resonated with me. Immediately, I made the many ways, therefore, it taps into part of the traditional role alternatives to face-to- decision that I wanted to learn and make shoes the traditional of the Cordwainers’ Company over the centuries. There will be way. Now this aspiration is reality thanks to the support from face get togethers will more to follow on this over the next few months. This exciting QEST and the Cordwainers’ Company. I believe I am going into have to continue for development was missing from my first update on Court business, an institution with a wealth of experience and vast knowledge Oluwamuyiwa Fadairo some time yet. I have but I hope you found my brief otherwise helpful. I would welcome that will give me a solid foundation as I grow to become a attended a number of really quite formal events on Zoom any feedback on how this could be developed and thank you to Master Shoemaker. I am relishing the opportunity I have been in the last month. One major difference is that all toasts are those who have already responded. Oluwamuyiwa joins a distinguished band of talented QEST given and with hard work and diligence, my goal is to become taken seated. Allegedly this is to avoid people moving out of At the end of this very strange year, I would like to thank award winners, including Cordwainer liverymen Mary Wing To part of the new wave of young talented makers taking British camera shot as they stand up. I imagine in fact it is save the Penny, Sue, Nancy and Wendy for their hard work in keeping and Dominic Casey. We look forward to meeting him in person crafts to new horizons. Once more, thank you QEST and the blushes of those wearing jeans under their dinner jackets! the Company running smoothly and ensuring that we have all when circumstances allow. Cordwainers’ Company for helping me realize a dream.’ been able to get together on screen if not in person. Angelique and I extend our very best wishes to you all for a happy Cultural Merit award Christmas and a better 2021. Paul Strand wins for Alexandra Cordwainers’ Cup for Excellence The Cordwainers’ Cup for excellence is awarded at the London College The Cordwainers Cup for excellence is awarded at the London of Fashion to a final year student MASTER’S College of Fashion to a final year student who displays and who displays and demonstrates the I want to thank Sarah Day, Nafi Mustafa, ACTIVITIES demonstrates the highest combination of academic merit and commercial Ian White, Gee Lai and the entire footwear highest combination of academic Virtual gin tasting JULY-DECEMBER 2021 acumen required to succeed within the industry upon graduation. team at UAL London College of Fashion: merit and commercial acumen their guidance and patience has been Congratulations to former Cordwainer music required to succeed within the On another level, I am amazed how much we have still been paramount throughout my college scholar and international concert pianist able to do. Online meetings are very well attended – thanks to industry upon graduation. experience. Freeman Alexandra Dariescu, who has been 15 all our committee and Court members who have given up so This year’s winner, Swedish shoemaker Paul honoured by her native Romania. She has VIRTUAL EVENTS This award definitely validates all the hard much time to assist the Company this year. ATTENDED received the Order ‘Cultural Merit’ in the rank Strand, was a finalist in the 2020 Cordwainers work and gives me the confidence to trust of Knight from the President of Romania, The quiz evening was huge fun, although I suspect from the National Footwear Student of the Year my instincts as a designer and shoemaker. ’in appreciation for the dedication and closeness of the scoring that Google took a bit of a hammering. The Awards and is thrilled to win the cup. Thank you to the Worshipful Company of interpretive talent in the service of art, for the virtual gin tasting put on by the office team recently was something ‘I am immensely proud and over- Cordwainers for this acknowledgement. 110 artistic mastery and the special place she has of a triumph and we are planning similar events for the new year, It means the world to me.’ ZOOM MEETING HOURS whelmed to have won this award, in the cultural-artistic life of the country, for if Covid regulations continue to restrict gatherings. The only especially as it considers both academic Paul’s designs can be seen on Instagram: the talent, dedication and professionalism silver lining to the Corona cloud is that online events provide the merit and the jury’s belief in my potential @paulstrandfootwear that led to the enrichment of universal culture opportunity to welcome people who would, for reasons of distance to succeed within the footwear industry and spirituality, promoting Romania’s image or health, not be able to attend physical events. 03 upon graduation. in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Our charitable works also are flourishing through adversity. Ever TRAIN JOURNEYS Northern Ireland.’ NORWICH - LONDON When creating my graduate collection, more ingenious schemes and events have already raised £5,700 I really wanted to push the boundaries Alexandra’s performances have obviously for the Royal Society for Blind Children, our Charity of the Year. of my imagination and produce unique been disrupted this year, but visit her website As I wrote to members recently, our income has been hit by the imagery tied to my Scandinavian heritage. alexandradariescu.com to learn more about pandemic, but we are endeavouring to make every penny that we 01 her forthcoming concerts and hear her play. are able to donate count. As just one example, we were able to TRIP FROM NORTH POLE 2 The Cordwainer the cordwainer the cordwainer Socially-distanced shoemaking In Northampton, course leader Freeman Jane Cordwaining Schaffer reports on a new mix of online learning and face-to-face teaching. ‘The majority of the teaching is face-to-face where possible, during particularly our technical and practical workshops. We have reduced numbers in the sessions; each studio/workshop has been assessed and a maximum number of students and staff allotted for safe social distancing. Practical demonstrations Cutting-edge class at LCF are given to smaller numbers of students and repeated when Covid necessary. Some of our machines have been taken out of the students rose to the challenge and richly rewarded us with service so we can observe social distancing and students amazing work which was submitted for assessment in July. They have personal aprons provided by the university, along with dug deep to find ways of communicating creative outcomes to University students seem to have had a particularly hard deal this year, disposable gloves.’ construct shoe models and experimental components. especially those on courses that involve a strong element of practical work. It’s a similar situation in Leicester, where De Montfort course After the efforts of the staff, it We asked the course leaders at Capel Manor, London College of Fashion, leader Freeman Phil Stewart says ‘The studios and workshops became clear very quickly that De Montfort University and the University of Northampton how they have have been redesigned for a one-way system and the footwear digital didn’t faze this generation adapted to teaching in the age of sanitisers and face masks. They have all workshop is limited to two students at a time. Because of these of students who were, of course, demonstrated a flexibility as lithe as the leather they work with to ensure restrictions, year one undertake practical making teaching in weaned on iPads and mobile that footwear design students thrive on a mixture of online lectures and term one, and years two and three will be making footwear in devices. How myopic of us oldies term two. In case there is a full lockdown, we have planned a not to realise this was the digital small practical classes. ‘Blended learning’ is the phrase of the semester and ‘It’s our strange course that delivers the learning experience that the students freedom they had been waiting for as LCF course leader, Liveryman Sarah Day remarks, ‘We certainly didn’t ‘new normal’ and expect and compensates for the lack of the practical element.’ all along! want any of the students to lose the passion they had developed in their we are trying very Masked makers at Capel Manor learning for our wonderful world of footwear.’ Liveryman Sarah Day sums up the situation in the education hard to get used We look forward to better days sector.