Duke + Dexter partners up with Playboy

Since it launched in 2015, Duke + Dexter has always been the wild child of the British footwear industry.

When everyone was doing patent oxfords, it made matte loafers. When everyone was getting fit, it said slow down.

And although its shoes are handmade in a family-run workshop in Sheffield, that doesn’t stop the label from reaching far beyond England’s shores for its inspiration.

Take last year’s collaboration with Snoop Dogg as a perfect example; this is not your typical traditional footwear brand.

This Spring, Duke + Dexter’s designers have turned to 1950s America for their muse – specifically the glory days of Playboy. Think penthouse parties, private jets, and blacked-out limousines.

An official collaboration with Playboy, this new collection blends the freedom and self-expression of an American icon with Duke + Dexter’s trademark flair and subversive attitude.

The collab includes eight different shoe designs each limited to just 250 pairs, and a collection of accessories – including an incredibly rare bunny camo robe made in conjunction with British tailor Joseph Darcy.

The shoes range from a pink velvet loafer to a more subtle black penny loafer with room to tuck in your D+D x Playboy members coin.

There’s even a Playboy camo motif available where the iconic bunny has been woven into a traditional camouflage pattern.

Archie Hewlett, CEO of Duke + Dexter said, “It’s a privilege to team up with Playboy – an icon that’s relevance and reverence has stood the test of time. This collection celebrates the golden era of one of the world’s most iconic magazines, by dispelling myths and celebrating its class, nostalgia and cultural relevance in all the right ways with Luka Sabbat.”

Sabbat is the model and artist you can see in these shots. He was shot for D+D x Playboy in LA by Menelik Puryear on old-school 35mm. The venue is the infamous Beverly Hills restaurant La Dolce Vita – a fitting name for a collection that’s all about living the good life.