By The Fashion Editorial Team
Church’s, the storied English shoemaker, has revealed its latest Spring/Summer campaign with actor Theo James (Divergent, The White Lotus, The Gentleman). Captured by Phil Poynter with creative direction by David James, the campaign unfolds across the British countryside, where a grand English estate sets the scene. With quintessential charm, James channels the eccentricities of the landed gentry.
At dawn, the actor chronicles his Almanac of English Eccentricities on a typewriter, seated at a café table and clad in supple Rother loafers. Not one to overlook his daily duties, he later escorts a pair of pot‑bellied pigs on their leisurely morning amble, wearing polished Shanghai monk straps. Observing the estate’s avian visitors through a trusty pair of binoculars, James appears in ecru linen Rother loafers, accompanied by a cherished bird of prey. True to the spirit of the estate, and clad in suede Reigate ankle boots, he casually tinkers with a motorbike in the ballroom. As night falls and the dress code shifts to classic black tie, James dons Hampstead oxfords for a mischievous, impromptu game of lawn bowls atop an antique runner.
Theo James for Church's Spring/Summer 2026 campaign, wearing Reigate ankle boots and Hampstead oxfords, respectively (Images courtesy of Church's)
Enchanting and whimsical, these stately vignettes poignantly combine the storied history of Church’s with the enduring legacy of the English countryside. As Theo James recounts, “the craftsmanship and heritage of the brand resonate with how I see style—timeless, considered, and built to last.”
Theo James for Church's Spring/Summer 2026 campaign, wearing Rother loafers in ecru linen with brown leather details and Shanghai Family monk strap loafers in leather (Images courtesy of Church's)
Noteworthy this season, the Shanghai Essence family reinterprets Church’s original 1929 design with monk straps crafted from a single piece of leather and finished with laser‑cut brogueing. For formal occasions, the Crown Collection draws upon centuries of expertise, crafted from the finest leathers and representing the highest expression of shoemaking. Now available in both physical and online stores, the Spring/Summer 2026 collection ensures every occasion is met with the exacting standards of the 150‑year‑old English shoemaker.