Brief History of Dean Girling

Any shoe enthusiast would recognize the name, as the brand bears his name inside, Gaziano & Girling.

The two talented industry veterans founded the brand, Tony Gaziano takes care of design as well as promotion, Dean Girling covers the backstage, which is making and quality control.

What is his journey in shoemaking?

Dean Girling was born in 1940, and his father was a shoemaker. in 1955, the 15 years old Dean joined a shoemaker in his hometown Norwich, Bowhill & Elliot.

Today’s Bowhill & Elliot only makes smoking slippers and lives quite well, but then it owns three shops in Norfolk and Suffolk, and they made not only smoking slippers, but bespoke shoes as the main business.

Till 1970s, the local demand for bespoke shoes went down sharply, therefore Bowhill & Elliot ceased the business and kept velvet slipper business. They keep offering shoes like Albert till this day.

Dean’s father worked in a shoe factory and made shoes in their house as well. Dean learned.

Although he inherited the skills from his father, he never wanted to take it as a profession as the pay is not worth the sweat.

Finished school in 16 years old, Dean’s uncle brought him to a construction land and he became a welder.

Sadly 1980s saw big drop of construction in UK, and Dean was hard to find a job. His father told him to come back to be a shoemaker, the pay was not good but as least enough to bring the food.

Dean took the advice and went to London and enrolled in Cordwainer to study shoemaking further.

Graduated from the college, Dean carried one pair of shoes he made to John Lobb St James and hoped to find a job there, he got the luck and worked there.

John Lobb St James hired a outworker then, and he lived in Suffolk where is quite near to Dean’s home, so he went back to Norwich and apprenticed under this shoemaker.

In 1991, 21 years old Dean became an official shoemaker in John Lobb St James.

Later on, Dean became an individual outworker and worked for George Cleverley, Henry Maxwell and Foster & Sons.

Once Dean handed his job in George Cleverley and first time met Tony Gaziano who worked there.

Not long, Tony moved to Edward Green and lead Top Drawer department.

As Tony’s role in Edward Green is to build bespoke service above Top Drawer, he thought about Dean and contacted to ask whether Dean can make bespoke shoes for Edward Green. Dean said yes.

Tony was not happy in Edward Green, and he told Dean his feeling and planned to establish his own brand. Dean thought it is a good idea, then they founded.