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Fairfax & Favor Oxblood Reginas – Monday Musts

Fairfax and favor oxblood reginasToday’s Monday Must is kit based, and it’s all about the Oxblood Reginas from Fairfax & Favor. I really do love them…

Before we go any further, these were gifted to me. I know the team at Fairfax & Favor very well, work with them on other projects (like competitions with other brands, etc), and they felt that these boots, in MY colour (other people are also allowed to use burgundy, but you know what I mean!), would become my new favourite, and they have. However, I’d like it noted that I wasn’t asked to write this, or photograph them, or talk about them on social media. They were sent to me as a thank you. And I just really, really want to share.

A bit about Fairfax & Favor

If you’ve followed me on social media at all, you’ll know how much I love this brand. I wear and use their products whenever I can and they always make me feel special. I know that Fairfax & Favor products aren’t cheap. I also know that when I took the plunge and bought my first item (my Windsor Bag), I had a flutter of ‘should I?!’. And I did. And I’ve been hooked ever since.

In addition, I also had the joy of interviewing Felix Favor Parker (one half of Fairfax & Favor) for a behind the brand interview. And I did a podcast with Lucy, who works on the marketing team, about the pink tassel Breast Cancer Care Campaign. With my Hiho hat on, we also worked with Fairfax & Favor on the Style, Skills & Silver event and Ben (aka Staggy Stag who is the tradestand manager) came in person too. I also tend to gravitate towards the stand at shows and events. I get to see all the lovely products, treat myself, have a drink… and I’m always assured of a warm welcome. But not just because they know me, everyone receives a warm welcome at Fairfax & Favor. That’s one of the great things about the brand.

But now, let’s talk about these boots…

The Oxblood Reginas from Fairfax & Favor

I have a pair of tan Reginas. I’ve had them for quite a few years now and I love them. I wear them whenever it’s appropriate to, so days out, at events, going to meet clients, etc. I love them. A lot. They actually live in my office rather than my house as if my children get within five metres of them I get a real sweat on and turn into a dragon.

So when Lucy told me that they were bringing out an Oxblood collection (including Oxblood Reginas) I was excited. I have a bit of a thing about burgundy. Not only do I use burgundy in my branding, but I’ve also realised that quite a lot of my clothes are this shade too. I’m wearing a burgundy gilet as I type this. So it kind of felt like I was going to have to own at least one item from the Oxblood Collection. It would be rude not to, wouldn’t it?

When the Oxblood Reginas came out, they looked lovely on all the pictures I saw, but a bit brighter than I imagined they would be. Despite being a burgundy fan, I’m not that into red. I like the colour red but it’s not a colour I wear. But then they arrived. And they are beautiful.

The Oxblood is a deep, rich shade of burgundy and is very, very close to the burgundy I use whenever I can! The actual boot has changed a little since I got my tan version and they definitely feel a lot more luxurious now. I should say I still think the original are very, very special, but these have lots of extras. There are three areas that I think have been upgraded since my tan ones were made: the sole, the lining and the insole.

Which areas have been upgraded?

The outer sole now has rubber elements for improved grip, whereas the original was just leather. I’ve only ever had one issue with the leather only sole… but that was more to do with me looking in one direction and walking in another… while stepping on an escalator. I do think that the rubber makes a very welcome addition though!

The inner sole is a lot more cushioned than my tan ones. A bit of website reading revealed that these boots have a memory foam comfort insole. So that’s that mystery solved! I can wear my tan ones all day without any sore foot issues, so the insole hasn’t ever caused me an problem… but the extra cushioning in these ones is rather lovely!

And the lining. Again, this is something that makes the boots feel really luxurious, but I didn’t have any issues with the unlined ones! The lining does tend to give the boot more structure and I imagine it will help them keep them shape for longer.

Styling the Oxblood Reginas

I wore these for the first time at the Farm Business Innovation Show were I was giving a seminar and then chairing the PR and Marketing Live Panel. For some reason, it didn’t enter my head that wearing new shoes to run around the NEC and stand up most of the day could be a bad idea. It dawned on me when I stepped off the bus entering the NEC and thought ‘oh… what have you done?!’. I’m very pleased to report that they were incredibly comfortable and were much admired. More than this, I felt really smart wearing them.

As for what to wear them with, I went for more conservative tones. I felt that having knee high burgundy boots was making quite a statement and I didn’t need to wear anything else that competed with that. And I think that was a good call. I wore skinny jeans, a burgundy long sleeved top, and a grey knitted poncho over the top. Accessorised with Hiho Silver jewellery (who am I kidding, I’m ALWAYS wearing Hiho jewellery) and my Windsor Bag, I think everything worked really well together. I have a pretty busy month lined up so I know this outfit will be getting another outing very soon!

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Stands to see at The Game Fair – Albion England

Albion England LogoHave you heard of Albion England? When I started in this industry, Albion was really well known for exceptional quality saddlery. Many of the top horses strutted their stuff in Albion saddles and bridles. And I can still remember the much adored Albion dressage saddle in the tack room on the event yard I used to work at. It was a thing of beauty and was so nice to ride in. Even if the horse who owned it wasn’t always the most cooperative, at least you had a comfortable seat!

Albion is now more actively promoting other strings to its leather bow. In recent years, Albion has rebranded as Albion England and has started to make a serious dent in the country lifestyle and shooting scene too.

This leads me nicely to The Game Fair. I’m really excited to be going to The Game Fair this year (and was delighted to write a guest blog too), and as I was scrolling down the exhibitor list, I found a number of stands I was really excited to go and visit… and one was Albion England.

I saw the stand at Badminton Horse Trials and meant to go back and have a look around as it looked absolutely stunning. I did also want to go and sniff the candles (I know I’m quirky, but the names sound divine!) and, also, if you’re horsey, there’s something about the smell of good quality leather. Don’t you think?! Anyway, I digress. When I saw Albion England were on the The Game Fair’s exhibitor list, I took the opportunity to catch up with the team about what we can expect to Albion England The Game Fairsee at the event… over to Albion England.

Stands to see at The Game Fair – Albion England

  • How long have you been exhibiting at The Game Fair?

6 years

  • Which product are you most excited to show the people visiting The Game Fair?

The Albion Sporting Classic Collection – our most prestigious collection and the one we have become known for. Not only is this collection visually stunning, but also of uncompromising quality. The pieces are built to last for generations and this is demonstrated by the outstanding feedback we receive from customers.

  • What’s your newest product? What makes it special?

We are super excited to be launching an all new sporting collection, including a leather gun slip, cartridge bag and cartridge pouch, at this year’s Game Fair. The new cartridge pouch is something we have had many requests for and we are delighted to be bringing this to market for the very first time at this year’s event. This simple yet practical piece is made from a beautiful full gain Italian leather, lined in suede and will no doubt be a stand out piece for The Game Fair.

  • If you could sum up Albion England in a sentence, what would it be?

An array of beautifully handcrafted country lifestyle products, blending artisan craftsmanship with revolutionary innovation and state-of-the-art technology.

  • Your rebrand is incredibly smart and marries the lifestyle, equestrian and shooting elements of your business together in one place… why did you decide to do this? Do you feel there’s a strong cross over in the different areas?

Albion England The Game FairAdding a complementing range of lifestyle and sporting lines is the natural way forward for us and the country lifestyle community have embraced our ever-evolving collections, just as they have so warmly with Albion Equestrian, which has acquired an incredible standing over its 33 year history. Albion England continues to be heavily committed to its equestrian roots, while our evolution now includes the creation of an equality premium portfolio of luxurious leather accessories. Collections are especially designed for the shooting and country lifestyle fraternity, with every product boasting the distinguished effortless style and extraordinary efficacy that is synonymous with Albion.

  • Where can visitors find you at the event?

Stand Number A109 – near the Gunmakers Pub

  • Are there any special offers they should know about?

We will be offering free embossing and complimentary Prosecco to our guests while they wait on our beautifully new redesigned stand. Personalisation is available across an wide range of our leather goods, making them the perfect present for the country sporting aficionado.

Find out more about Albion England here, and find out more about The Game Fair here.

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