The gentleman’s choice

The first Bexley shop opened in 1985, right in Lyon city centre. Its founder, Eric Botton, set out to offer elegant men’s footwear, with a range of high-quality, lasting and reasonably priced shoes. Forty years and one buyout by an investment fund (in 2017) later, that promise still holds true. While it is now part of a nationwide network of 36 shops (including three in Lyon) with international ambitions, the brand has maintained strong local roots. The team of 25 people at its head office, in Villeurbanne, manages product design, customer service, e-commerce and marketing. This location is a strategic choice: "It’s important to connect Bexley to Lyon and the surrounding area. Not only was the brand founded in Lyon, our teams are attached to its values. The local industry is varied and offers plenty of expertise. We work with a tannery in Annonnay (the Tannerie d’Annonay), for example, which has always supplied our leathers over the years; and, as we all know, it’s the leather that makes the quality of a shoe, emphasized Bruno Luppens, CEO of Bexley.

Stylish from head to toe

The brand also stands out for its pricing policy, with all articles of a particular type sold at a set price: all its brogue models, for example, are at €169; while all trainers are at €109. This approach simplifies the buying experience and is applied consistently throughout the menswear range, which includes suits, shirts, polo shirts, pullovers, socks and belts. Bexley is the perfect antidote to fast fashion, focussing its attention on timeless basics and quality materials: "Our product managers pay close attention to trends and materials. We like to keep things natural, using leather, linen, organic cotton and 100% wool. We use no acrylic and no chemical treatments. The products are made in small workshops in Morocco and Portugal." The collections are then sold online and through a network of premium shops that are already established “in France’s most beautiful towns and cities, as well as in Madrid and soon in other major capitals.”

Visit one of the brand’s three Lyonnais shops to see first-hand :