Sebastien Laroze & Dhiraj Bathija, Co-Founders of Ascot X Charlie / Timeless Masculine Footwear

Ascot X Charlie is an adventure which started in 2018 by a band of friends: unrepentant travellers, seeking out the finer things in life. They had experienced first-hand the difficulty in finding products that resonated with them and their values: products that struck the balance between elegant design, quality and durability - without compromising on their origin, raw materials or respect for the environment. And as someone wise once remarked, if you want something done well, do it yourself. And so the brand was born out of the quest for beauty and harmony, driven by an unflinching sense of optimism and positivity. They travelled tirelessly through Italy and Portugal in search of the best ateliers, and after long months of work and dozens of prototypes, their first capsule collection was launched. Given its remarkable success, the founders decided to expand the range of sneakers whilst holding on to that optimism - and the brand now continues to offer elegant, durable and versatile products that showcase the best of European craftsmanship.In this episode of the MenswearStyle Podcast we interview Sebastien Laroze and Dhiraj Bathija, Co-Founders of Ascot X Charlie about their backgrounds and how they came together to build a brand together in 2018. Our host Peter Brooker and the Co-Founders talk about filling a gap in the market, tapping into creativity, why quality and durability is important for sustainability in footwear, self-funding a startup, working with ateliers, what makes the brand different to others in the market, and sneaker care hacks.Whilst we have your attention, be sure to sign up to our daily MenswearStyle newsletter here. We promise to only send you the good stuff.