Berkemann is teasing us with details!

 

nd let me tell you, I love the way they're doing it. Europeans have long known and loved the Berkemann brand of clogs, but we only hear of them in fits and starts here in North America. Ironically, it was an ECHID reader from South Africa who directed my gaze at what new things are brewing in the Berkemann camp. Keep in mind that I'm relying on Google Translate to flesh out the story thus far so I may be missing some of the finer points of the campaign. But the upshot seems to be that Berkemann has a fresh new line up of wood soled shoes heading our way in their Spring/Summer 2012 collection, and we'd best sit up and take notice!

Photos of shoes are the easiest way to get the attention of us clog fans. This blog has proven that time and again. But Berkemann is holding back with the payoff. To launch their coming attractions, they've built a campaign around a series of graphic renderings of our fave footwear that owe a lot to the pared-to-the-basics illustrations of comic strips. I immediately thought of the paintings of Roy Lichtenstein and the images created by Patrick Nagel. Berkemann has some showstoppers waiting in the wings ready to take center stage. And they're launching these shoes under the brand name 1885 (located online at www.1885.eu).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

According to the 1885 website,

Die wilden 60iger in New York. Ein Club in Manhattan. Die Band spielt ihre letzten Songs. Rick L.s Blick schweift umher und da steht SIE. Blond, ein Engel mit Highheels aus Holz. Er fasst sich ein Herz. Lädt sie auf den 1885er-Cocktail ein. Sie ist zu Besuch aus Hamburg. Der Rest ist Geschichte...

2011 – Ein Dachboden in Hamburg-Lokstedt
Dem deutsch-amerikanischen Schuhdesigner Andy L. fallen vergilbte Fotos in die Hände. Es muss der Abend des ersten Dates gewesen sein, von dem seine Eltern immer so gern erzählen. Sein Blick fällt auf die Schuhe seiner Mom. Die Highheels aus Holz, die damals schon die Aufmerksamkeit seines Dads entfachten.

Die Idee ist geboren:
1885 – Glamorous Shoes for Supergirls

The gist of this content seems to be this (and those of you who speak German please correct me if I'm wrong): German-American shoe designer Andy L. came across some old photos of his parents on one of their first dates. In a New York night club his father had spotted her while visiting from Hamburg, a striking blonde with high heels made of wood. The boy notices the shoes in the picture. And an idea for a new line of shoes is born.

The part of the narrative I'm really hazy on, though, is how does 1885 fit into the plot. Google has been no help here. The website's Die Story page refers to an "1885er cocktail". Anyone care to hazard a guess. Or better yet, an explanation? While we wait, we have other styles to make guesses about, too. Here are just some of the shoes listed on the 1885 Die Kollektion page.

 

 

 

 

And if that's not enough, you can treat yourself to the much higher res versions of these teaser images on the 1885 Gimmicks page, jpegs big enough to fill your computer display with these delightful drawings.

 

 

 

 

 

Want to know more? It's the Spring/Summer 2012 collection so we obviously won't have to wait for long. But if you're looking for a little more gratification now, pay a visit to the 1885 page on Facebook. Between the posts of the site's webmaster and those of Berkemann employee "Karla Klapper", you'll get quite a few peeks at what's heading our way.

 

 

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[On my feet as I blog:  I received a special request from my visitor to bring out my Savanna clog boots from UGG Australia, and I am nothing if I am not a gracious host.]

Comments

[Johanna]

Rick L. (Andy's father) invites the high heeled blonde to have a cocktail with him. The name of the cocktail is 1855. One cocktail leads to another and finally, to Andy... ;-)

[Warren]

I think 1885 is the year that Heinrich Berkemann founded his shoe business.
But wait...there's more: check out: http://www.berkemann-1885.com/BERKEMANN-1885.com.html
for some better photos of the collection.

[Maria]

Oh man, I forgot about those Savannah Clog Boots...I just love them!

[Johanna]

@Warren: 1855 refers to a cocktail, not to a date.

It says so on the Berkemannsite too:

Auch wenn die Story der neuen und peppigen Berkemann 1885 Kollektion in die Vergangenheit zurückreicht, steht der Name nicht für eine Jahreszahl, sondern den gleichnamigen Cocktail. Dieser wurde in den Vereinigten Staaten der 1950er Jahre mit Vorlieben ausgeschenkt und beispielsweise auch von den Eltern des heutigen Berkemann-Designers Andy L. getrunken.

(Parafrase: the name doesn't represent a date but a cocktail of the same name. This was popular in the States during the fifties and was also drunk by designer Andy's parents.)

I love the shoes! And the pictures.

[Natealine]

Wish I could have a pair of those 'Fay' wedges!

[Lindsey Cochran]

Maria: Thanks! To tell the truth, with all the excitement at the end of last year/the beginning of this year, I had forgotten about them, too!

[Lindsey Cochran]

Johanna: Ha, ha, ha! I can be so dense sometimes. 

By the way, have you ever heard of the 1885 cocktail? I'm so surprised that no reference to it exists as far as I could see on the internet. 

[Johanna]

I found a reference on Nola.com. I don't know how the Germans came up with this drink! By the way, some of those clogs are already for sale at House of Shoes. I'm tempted. I really, really like the wedges.

[Evan]

Have enjoyed Berkmans clogs for some time. I love that many of their styles come in larger sizes. Their site already has some great mens styles.