Cody Wyant is an unusual and striking character. With his unmistakable Savile Row meets world luxury gentleman’s attire and his red, shortly trimmed beard, his bulk swathed in cashmere or paisley, throw in his Mid-West American twang and distinct gait and you have a character drawn from a hybrid of Truman Capote meets E.F Benson’s Mapp & Lucia. Something tells me he’ll either love or hate this description — but I’m sure as dollars to doughnuts that I’ll receive a Cody humouresque missive via What’s App.
Wyant came up with the idea of offering his own brand of unique carpet shoes as so many people commented on the various carpet-come-slippers-about-town he had made-to-order and wore with swagger on his jaunts around London and Edinburgh. ‘Women are always the first to comment on them. Men just tend to look but are often too embarrassed to ask another gentleman about style,‘ says Wyant, ‘I guess, it doesn’t help that I’m often being dragged by two King Charles cavaliers!’.
The endearing company name followed after a brainstorm with a friend when it was obvious from the start that it is always the dogs who are stars of the show, even when in his unique company. Obsessed with Scottish history, antiques and fine art, Wyant’s doctorate study influenced his taste in style and late Georgian interiors. ‘My taste is less landed gentry and more stranded gentry,’ he jests, ‘it lacks strict formality and is more representative of a bohemian hodgepodge of things or objects I’m drawn to – ones with history, substance and character.’ WallyDugCo is intended to show a lifestyle and a choice for well-made, unique pieces that are cannot be easily be replicated, that the wearer can add to his wardrobe and taper to his own style.
As the shoes are cut and handcrafted from antique Turkish carpets, each pair is truly distinctive and one-off offering sustainability and luxury. To add to their uniqueness, each WallyDugCo shoe style is named after Edinburgh New Town streets which were originally constructed by illustrious Enlightenment architects. There’s also a few named after his and friend’s King Charles cavaliers.
The fact that there is a trend for sustainability and re-usable pieces that are beautiful and distinctive isn’t lost on Wyant who is canny enough to plan adding to the line with satchels. Beautiful, colourful, fine-wool socks will join the WallyDugCo line in next season. British menswear has another inspired, luxury accessories line to look up to.
WallyDugCo.com sizes range from European 41-46, priced at £185 per pair.
from Katie Chutzpah
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