Free Lance: style courtesy of French know-how.
French brand Free Lance distinguishes itself with its boots, ankle boots, high-heeled sandals and various other models of high-end shoes for women, all original with a sprinkling of rock'n'roll. The quality of the shoes they design owes as much to the creativity of their designers as the ancestral manufacturing techniques they continue to follow to this day. The expertise of this family workshop, particularly noticeable in the way the materials are treated, has enabled them to turn to other kinds of feminine models of accessories, like the leather handbags and clutches, as well as masculine pieces such as moccasins, flat lace-ups and boots.
A family affair.
Free Lance was born in Vendée in 1980 when, after four generations, brothers Yvon and Guy Rautureau decided to take on the family cobbler's. The workshop is still located in the same region today, however it has grown beyond recognition since its creation and has become a vast manufacturing facility, also home to French shoe brand Pom d’Api. Several decades after the brand was launched, the designers of Free Lance shoes have preserved the boot-making know-how and the inventiveness that brought them, and continue to imagine their models as luxury shoes. On the brand's premises, Guy Rautureau has developed a large library of materials, and it is there that he delves into the leather, patent leather, lambskin and other materials for the inspiration that goes into designing his original fashion pieces.
It is important to the Rautureau brothers to continue their shoemaking heritage, and with the line of leather goods they have added to their remit, models of shoes, their design values remain. The brand designs a large range of slightly offbeat feminine bags, faithful to their characteristic rock'n'roll spirit, as well as more classic models. From the solid colour tote Mini Guy Bag to the Sonia fringed clutch bag, Free consistently ensures they create bold and diverse pieces. The big Batik Smog clutch bag is a perfect example of this, as is the FL black calfskin belt, one of the brand's iconic accessories. The models in the belt collection coordinate with the line of Free Lance bags, using the same materials and colours.
Guy Rautureau, heir to French craftsmanship.
The strength of this "made in France" company, lies first and foremost in the talent of the Rautureau brothers. Guy Rautureau, the label's designer, is above all a craftsman, capable of designing and making shoes right through to the finishings stage. From a family of cobblers and shoemakers, this remarkable designer's core value is authenticity - for him, "it all begins with the material".
Like the must-have Free Lance bikers' ankle boots, the shoe brand's iconic models are both original and elegant, as demonstrated by the success of their boots, ankle boots, flat and heeled sandals and even their clogs. The precision of the finishings demonstrates the quality of each piece: