“We couldn’t afford the riches, to compete with the riches, so we turned our rags into riches and the riches followed us”  It was this profound ethos adopted, at a young age, by music superstar Will.I.Am and his brother Carl Gilliam, a footwear designer, that led to their creation of MCCVIII (Twelve-O-Eight) – a luxury footwear brand. The name itself is rather ambiguous but makes sense after discovering the collection is inspired by their backgrounds, 1208 Glenfield Court (MCCVIII) being the address where both Will.I.Am and Carl Gilliam were born and raised.

As part of London Collections Men (a biannual showcase), there was a presentation of MCCVIII fashion which took place on Saturday 7th January at The Institute of Contemporary Arts, The Mall. I arrived half way through the event by which time there was barely enough space to move around. “A great turn out!” I thought. Will.I.Am is known for his witty, unapologetic sense of style and innovative musical talent so who wouldn’t be intrigued to see a collection instigated by his creative vision. Just as I had imagined, the collection was colourful with a sports luxe look about it. High-quality Italian calf and nubuck leather with lambskin lining are used in one collection out of two. The Chariot consists of the Chariot Archer High-Top and Chariot Archer Low-Top with a historical reference to the Ancient Roman sport of chariot racing. The Chariot is an everyday shoe so will compliment smart/casual attire. Even when sporting an all-black ensemble, the colour combinations in which the collection is available will add a distinctive colour palette to your wardrobe such as orange with a green sole, pink with a blue sole, blue with orange and metallic with white.

The Chariot Collection

The Chariot Collection

The Chariot Collection

The second collection – The Pharaoh – consists of sneakers with a square toe accentuated with 18-carat gold-plated details. If you prefer bolder styles the latter is for you. In terms of versatility, MCCVIII offers colour and style all rolled into one. For comfortability, only you, as a trendy male fashionista, can be the judge of that. I guess, I will have to wait patiently until Will.I.Am and his brother introduce a set of bad girls to compliment these bad boys!! Perhaps then, I may have a stroke of luck and the riches will follow me also.

The Pharaoh Collection

The Pharaoh Collection

The Pharaoh Collection

MCCVIII Presentation – Will.I.Am – Styleiconnat – Carl Gilliam

www.mccviii.com is stocked in Harvey Nichols | Written by @Styleiconnat | #TheLifestyleCollective – “A Unique Expression of A Creative Power”  | #TeamP | Product Images My Own | Photo Credit: Laurent Benhamou – Rex Images.