Helps make us not look like fashion twats

Marc Hare: Agony Uncle
Fashion | 5 June 2013
Interview James West

Above: still from The Last Picture Show, 1971

Marc Hare, the super-dude behind Mr Hare, is gearing up for his London Collections: Men presentation. As you can tell, we are a bit preoccupied with our own shoe questions. We had a quick eyeball through his inspiration for this season, and poked his effervescent brain for some nuggets of footwear-related wisdom.

So we were just on holiday and everyone was wearing pool sliders (like in the N.E.R.D. cover below). What would be your shopping tips for pool sliders? How can we make sure we look THE BOMB and not like a pensioner?

Firstly, some pensioners are bombass so let’s not broad stroke the old. If you want to look the bomb in anything you have got to be a bomb. You have to explode with ideas and personality and confidence. Otherwise you are operating on a covert counter intelligence level, which can be effective but a lot of people might miss it. Shopping wise, whatever people say is wrong, do your dangest, to prove it ain’t so. Send pictures to ilookthebomb@mrhare.com

This is your 10th collection, and it’s our 10th issue in October. What 10th anniversary discoveries do you have that you can share with us?

Enjoy the moment because you are only as good as your next idea.

Do you have secret plans for the presentation? We are only just recovering from the tap dance extravaganza last season.

I am glad you liked the last show. It was rather special. Watch out for the film coming soon. I can also confirm we most certainly do have some secret plans for this show.

How can we justify buying new shoes for ourselves every season (we’d really like to so please help us), when our parents always told us to buy shoes for life?

You should listen to your parents and buy shoes for life, but my lawyer and I have looked over your parents’ advice and nowhere does it stipulate how many shoes you should buy for life. So one pair a season would represent prudence, in our opinion.

Do you design quick or slow?

I design quick. I’m a busy guy. I holiday slow.

How many designs get left on the drawing board each season? 

If it gets to the drawing board it’s getting made. My head, however, is littered with nearly-shoes.

What shoes go best with shorts without looking like fashion twat? It’s an issue every summer.

All depends on the shoes and the shorts. Any pair of shoes will complement the correct shorts. A smart Oxford will compliment a smart short. A pool slider looks awesome with a shiny long basketball short and white socks. The real problem here is fashion twats.

Why the collaboration with Mr Start?

Philip Start is the man. Where else could you buy balling-ass garmz in East London before Start opened up in Rivington Street? Who else could win the heart of the fashion force that is the fabulous Brix Smith Start? And who makes my suits? Don’t ask stupid questions.

We got told.

Marc Hare’s SS14 inspiration, in his own words:

“Philip’s (Mr Start) inspiration for the season was The Last Picture Show. I watched it again so we were on the same plane. I forgot how gritty it was and how stylish the main protagonists were. Expect to see some Mr. Hare Tex/Mex summer workwear.”

“This N.E.R.D. cover has always been dear to me. This guy looks so happy and content. I am not condoning everyone slouching out in pool sliders and playing video games, but somewhere along the line maybe people forgot about the simple pleasures in life and you don’t necessarily need the dopest car and the bombest watch to be the man.”

“It is my 10th collection so I have been thinking a lot about X’s. Obviously the most famous X in my book is El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz. The crazy thing is, it was just announced on the news that Malcolm Shabazz, Malcolm X grandson was killed in a brawl in a Mexican bar last week, on 09 May 2013.”

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