lustforshoes.com

Behnaz Kanani

admin — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 02:58:06 +0000

Back in the mid 1990s, Behnaz Kanani narrowed her career path to two options: pharmacology or shoe design. Fortunately for shoe lovers, she chose the second option.

Born in Iran and raised in Spain, she later moved to London and studied shoe design at Cordwainers. After graduating, Ms Kanani designed for Bruno Magli, Jimmy Choo, Rene Lezard, and Moda Italia, among others. She launched her own label in 2006, and she has quietly issued remarkable collections every season since then.

Handcrafted and extravagantly detailed, Ms Kanani’s designs often incorporate exotic leathers and even fur. All the footwear is made in Italy (I am tempted to say “of course”) to a level of craftsmanship that keeps it firmly in the luxury category. These are decadent designs – not from any ostentatious detail, but from the richness of the materials and opulent treatments.

Each season she introduces provocative design elements: horse-leg heels, snub toes, multiple straps. Many of these are revisited in later collections and explored further. And each fall/winter collection brings more of the marvelous knee-high boots.

There are several things that I think are particularly exciting about Behnaz Kanani footwear. The first is that she often references historical styles – not to create a retro style, but as a reworking of the style into a contemporary design. The Art Deco inspired collection from a couple of years ago is a particular favorite of mine.

The second is her take on patchwork. I can’t believe I am writing that, because I am REALLY not a fan of traditional patchwork on anything except bedding. However, Ms Kanani’s version is simple, clean, and dynamic. It’s about as far from calico squares as you can get.

The third is the restrained fetishistic quality of many of her designs. Take a look at the pony hair shoes below. The style of each shoe is relatively conservative, but the use of texture and sheen of pony hair gives them a definite sensual edge.

And the wedges – I love wedges, and would argue strenuously with anyone who says they can’t be as fabulous as stilettos. See what you think….

I think Ms Kanani’s designs have a beautifully organic quality from all the curvilinear forms and the rich contrasts of color and materials. Despite the fact that she has only issued a few collections so far, her vision as a designer is already very strong and there is a compelling design story behind each collection. You can see more of her footwear on her website, as well as a list of retailers worldwide who carry the label.

Please support independent shoe designers.

Rocio Ildemaro

admin — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 07:13:58 +0000

Rocio Ildemaro footwear is exactly what you would expect from a designer born in Venezuela and raised in Texas: bold shapes, spicy colors, and exuberant styling.

A lifelong shoe fanatic, Ms Ildemaro gave up a career as an investment banker to study shoe design at Ars Sutoria in Milan. In 2004 she started making bespoke footwear, and she launched her first ready to wear collection in 2009.

She is based in Dallas, but all of the shoes are hand made in Italy. She uses a lot of exotic leathers that can be difficult to work with, but the level of craftsmanship is always immaculate.

The design of these fabulous gold python pumps seems simple, but the work involved – from the metallic dye to the perfect match of the scale pattern – would have been extensive. This is a design that wouldn’t work if you cut corners in the making process; it could easily delve into the realm of cheap and costumey.

Ms Ildemaro’s use of texture is one of the most exciting aspects of her designs. Textural contrasts are explored with beautiful results…

However my favorite designs are the ones that use a very simple shape to highlight a single texture, like these d’Orsays in pale pink rough-finish python. Fabulous…

There are not nearly enough retailers carrying Rocio Ildemaro designs yet, but you can use the contact details on her website to find out if there are any in your area.

Please support independent shoe designers.

Shoe Confections

admin — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 02:03:21 +0000

I couldn’t resist writing about these – they are just too amazing. The photo above is a cake – yes an actual cake – from How Sweet It Is Bakery in Houston, Texas. Every part of this cake (and all the cakes below) is edible.

These three from Lindy Cakes in the UK are incredible – and disconcertingly realistic…

Stiletto cakes from Elite Cake Designs in Australia…

And a couple from Freeds Bakery in Las Vegas…

These little beauties are from Clifton Cakes in the UK. Each one is made out of solid Belgian chocolate….

And these might be the most modest, but I think they are my favorites: little iced cookies from Rosey Sugar Art…

Please support independent shoe designers… and all desserts in the shape of shoes!

Minna Parikka

admin — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 03:28:02 +0000

I have never been a girly girl, and I generally steer clear of anything decorated with hearts. But now I have to make an exception for Minna Parikka’s footwear.

Minna Parikka has been designing shoes since she was 15 years old. As soon as she was old enough, she moved from her native Finland to Leicester in England to study shoe design. She worked as a freelance designer in both London and Italy for a couple of years before returning to Helsinki in 2005 to set up her own label. She produced her first collection in 2006 and opened her own store in Helsinki just two years later.

Ms Parikka’s design aesthetic is feminine with just enough of a fetish edge to give her shoes a little bite. The quirky detailing and vintage influences make these shoes more sultry than aggressively sexy. Platforms and stilettos are used sparingly – Louis heels and cone heels are more typical, but no less enticing, I think.

With cunning use of color, material, and detailing, even the lowest heels have glamour.

There are several signature design elements that Ms Parikka has been exploring since her first collection. Besides the hearts mentioned above, there are corsetry and lacing…

… wings…

… bows…

… and contrasts: colors, materials, textures…

… and a couple of delightful touches like that pink lining and the rubber soles she uses in deference to the Finnish climate. Her shoes are also designed for maximum comfort – even if you are dancing all night. In 2009, she collaborated with the legendary Crazy Horse Cabaret in Paris, where her shoes were worn by all of the dancers for one of their shows. (From what I’ve read, the shoes were all they wore!)

Ms Parikka has cited Ferragamo and Vivier as influences on her designs, and you can definitely see both. I think Thea Cadabra must also have provided inspiration. Here are a couple of Ms Cadabra’s fabulous designs – the “Maid Pump” on the left caused a sensation when it was first shown in London in 1980….

Ms Parikka believes the time she spent freelancing in London has been more of a source of inspiration than designs from her native Finland. Being a major fan of English designers – and having studied shoe design in London myself – I would agree. However, she definitely adds her own distinctive stamp – once you have seen her designs it is easy to recognize her style.

And speaking of stamps, those marvelous Finns have honored Minna Parikka with her own first class postage stamp.

Her website has an online mail order store and also lists stockists. I find it unforgivable that there are no retailers in North America, but I hope that will change soon.

Please support independent shoe designers!

Marloes ten Bhömer at the Jerwood Contemporary Makers 2010 Exhibition

admin — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 05:26:29 +0000

Marloes ten Bhömer is an artist and designer whose work includes some remarkable shoes. A few months ago I wrote an article about her shoe designs – you can check it out here.

Ms ten Bhömer’s Rotationalmouldedshoe has just been selected for the Jerwood Contemporary Makers 2010 exhibition. The shoe was created from molded polyurethane rubber around a stainless steel frame. It looks like a work of art, but is actually wearable as a shoe…

The Jerwood Contemporary Makers exhibition is an initiative that supports the applied arts by showcasing and promoting the work of the recipients as well as providing some financial support. It can provide valuable exposure to innovative artists and designers. You can read more about it here.

And if you are a fan of Marloes ten Bhömer’s shoes, you will also be happy to know that she has made three extra shoe styles available to purchase through the online boutique on her website.

Please support independent shoe design!

Javier Gasco

admin — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 21:53:25 +0000

The shoes created by Javier Gasco reveal what can be achieved when a designer doesn’t have to worry about commerciality – no need to identify a target market, create a balanced and cohesive collection, or determine cost assessments. Mr Gasco doesn’t design regular collections for sale; these shoes are made for his pleasure or for a rare commission. They are the product of an unbridled imagination and a masterful ability to design and make footwear.

Javier Gasco is a shoemaker and a professor of shoemaking at the European Institute of Design in his native Madrid. His experience started in childhood, when he helped his father in the family business making cowboy boots. He later studied traditional Spanish shoemaking and rounded off his knowledge by studying footwear design in Madrid and the ARS in Milan. There must be very little that Javier Gasco doesn’t know about creating footwear.

One of the most striking things about these shoes is the innovative detailing, often involving unexpected combinations of materials and the use of exotic leather. The booties below are made of python and brass chain mail. The platform is covered in water snake, and coils of brass wire create the heel contouring.

Oiled calfskin was hand embroidered and used to make these oxfords…

These booties are made of kangaroo leather, decorated with rhinestone studs and buttons; the removable tongue allows for two different looks.

Even the humble flip-flop is transformed into something special with the use of luxurious materials. In this case, calfskin with crocodile trim…

And this is one of my favorites: a pair of mary janes in natural goatskin, the platform and heel are covered in chocolate lizard, and a line of brass studs at the heel is carried around the shoe by gold piping. A beautifully refined design.

Mr Gasco makes all of his shoes by hand, and the craftsmanship is a master class from start to finish. He often turns pattern-cutting into a mind game, seeing how complicated he can make the design and still use just a single seamless piece of leather. Most footwear is made from several pieces that are sewn together (take a look at a few of your own shoes to see how many seams they have). This is easier, more convenient, and a lot cheaper than the one piece method because it allows for more efficient cutting of the leather. If you’ve ever had to cut out a dress pattern you will have a greater appreciation of this. Making a complicated shoe out of a single seamless piece of leather is like making a pair of pants out of a single seamless piece of fabric – not impossible, but incredibly difficult.

The gold part of the shoe above (excepting the wedge inserted to form the heel) was made from a single piece of leather – you can see there is no seam between the upper and the platform’s sole. I’ve studied both pattern cutting and shoemaking, but the thought of attempting that fills me with fear.

In the shoes below, a single un-seamed piece of leather is used to create the upper as well as cover the heel. Mr Gasco carved the heel by hand to give the impression that the shoe is tipping backwards – it’s an illusion, the shoe is completely stable.

The beauty and craftsmanship of these shoes alone would make them special, but some of them also have a narrative that takes them to a place that is close to art. Here are a few of those stories:

This pair of d’Orsays was made from the skin of a boa constrictor. The skin was untanned and had been used as a decorative wall hanging for a long time. It was old and dry and had to be extensively treated and softened before it could be used to make the shoes. The d’Orsay design is sublimely simple and allows the pattern of the skin to be the star…

A pair of burlap and raffia hand-sewn sandals, inspired by a trip to Africa and decorated with beads brought back from that trip…

Gold lizard mules with pink goatskin lining and ring detail; they were made without a pattern, so each one is slightly different…

A hand embroidered slingback inspired by an unforgettable moment that Mr Gasco had during a trip to Tokyo…

Javier Gasco’s designs remind us of how special the craft of shoemaking can be, and of the potential for a pair of shoes to last a lifetime – in terms of both structure and design. In our consumer culture of disposability and fleeting trends, shoes are often cheaply made and have a life-expectancy of only a season or two; then they fall apart and we throw them away. I know most designers – independent or otherwise – don’t have the luxury of designing anything they want, but it is exciting to see where footwear design can go when there are no restrictions on creativity.

All images are from Javier Gasco’s website.

Please support independent shoe design!

Kron by KronKron

admin — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 21:39:22 +0000

I admit I know nothing about Icelandic design, but if these shoes are anything to go by, then I’m all for it. Fun, unrestrained, and looking kind of like they’re made of icing, Kron by KronKron shoes are dessert for your feet.

In 2004 fashion designer Hugrun Arnadottir and hairstylist Magni Porsteinsson opened KronKron in Reykjavik. The store was created to showcase the work of young and upcoming designers as well as some of the more innovative established designers. By 2008 the two finally realized their ambition to create fashion themselves, and Kron by KronKron was born.

The design aesthetic is simple: beauty, color, and femininity. That seems straightforward enough, but the designers’ unique vision takes these shoes to a special place. Philippe Pouhasehmi nailed it with his description: “Think Minnie Mouse growing up in Victorian England and having wild Moulin Rouge fantasies.” **

The combinations can reach kaleidoscopic proportions, but there is nothing frivolous about these shoes. The exuberance of the designs is matched by their quality. All Kron by KronKron shoes are made in Spain by artisans, so the craftsmanship is exceptional.

The materials are sumptuous and fearlessly mixed. I love their use of metallic mesh…

The timeless quality of these shoes is deliberate, and an important aspect of these designs; they don’t follow fashion, so they aren’t limited by any trends or any seasons.

Kron by KronKron footwear is available to buy through their store in Reykjavik and by mail order from their store website. The shoes are shipped from Europe and the prices are in euro. I couldn’t find any other way of getting their shoes by mail order, but I am hoping that will change soon. I’ll keep you posted if I get any further information about this.

UPDATE (June on retailers: Both Asos.com and Poste Mistress carry a selection of Kron by KronKron shoes (based on availability) to purchase by mail order. And if you are in London, you can find some of the designs for sale at Author.

**Quotation taken from the superb website A Shaded View on Fashion (which should be followed religiously).

All images are from the Kron by KronKron website, which is not a shop site but more of an archive for all of their footwear designs.

Please support independent shoe designers!

LD Tuttle

admin — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 01:18:59 +0000

I’ve followed the shoe collections of LD Tuttle for several years, and for some reason I had always pictured the designer as a dapper, balding, vaguely English middle aged man. This must owe more to my butler fetish than reality, because the truth is at the other end of the spectrum. LD Tuttle is actually Tiffany Tuttle – a former ballet dancer and California native who created the label in 2004 with her husband Richard “LD” Lidinsky.

Ms Tuttle studied fashion at the FIT in New York, and her early design experience included working alongside Alexander McQueen at Givenchy. She later worked as an apparel designer for Rebecca Taylor, and it was there that her desire to design accessories gained focus. Clearly Ms Tuttle doesn’t do anything by halves, because she chose to study footwear design at the illustrious Ars Sutoria in Milan.

All LD Tuttle footwear is handmade in Italy, although the company is based in Ms Tuttle’s hometown of Los Angeles. From the very start, the designs showed distinction. Ms Tuttle’s signature design elements developed quickly: contrasting materials, cut-out detailing, and neutral colors (she manages to make “sludge” and “putty” seem glamorous).

Before studying fashion, Ms Tuttle earned a degree in European history from Princeton, and I think that shows up in her designs. Many of her boots and shoes evoke some definite historical references, especially the laced designs; however these influences are always incorporated into a decidedly modern framework.

Straps and bandage-type wrapping are ideas she explores extensively and to beautiful effect, sometimes resulting in a kind of crazy-stylish mummification.

Shreds of leather are used to create both form and embellishment…

The detailing on these shoes is incredible – rich and inventive, but always restrained. For me, the shoes that incorporate slouching and draping are the real gems. From a shoemaking point of view these are difficult designs to execute, and the fact that they are so well crafted makes them all the more stunning.

Her recent collections contain a large number of androgynous designs. I’m not sure which ones are for men and which are for women. But does it really matter? I’d wear any of them…

There seems to be a growing cult of LD Tuttle footwear, which is great because it means that more retailers are picking up the label. Check out the LD Tuttle website for information about stockists.

Please support independent shoe designers.

United Nude in NYC

admin — Thu, 27 May 2010 06:50:45 +0000

The fabulous United Nude has just opened a flagship store in New York City. They are the company that created the Mobius shoe…

… as well as a pair of embroidered peep toe pumps I am not sure I can live without…

The interior shows the same innovative design as the footwear with the “dark shop” concept used in their Amsterdam branch; this involves keeping the main lighting low in order to showcase the dramatic back-lit display cubes.

You can get more details about the store here. And you can read more about United Nude in two previous articles about them on this site: Part 1 and Part 2.

Please support independent shoe design.

Francesca Giobbi

admin — Wed, 19 May 2010 05:06:32 +0000

Francesca Giobbi shoes are so fun, so exuberant, so… Brazilian. In the hands of another designer all this color and beading and embroidery might seem like too much, but Ms Giobbi manages to make the designs work.

Ms Giobbi left her native Sao Paolo to study architecture in Italy until her ambition turned to fashion design. She worked for Prada, Gucci, Versace, and Armani, so the classic Italian craftsmanship category was firmly checked. However, her biggest influence is Sergio Rossi – she worked for his fashion house and lists him as her mentor. You can definitely see the Rossi influence in the luxurious trim and the sheer wow factor.

Like many shoe designers who started with architecture, Ms Giobbi’s designs often include strong sculptural elements and emphatic silhouettes…

… as well as particular attention paid to heel shapes…

She returned to Brazil in 2000 to start designing her own label, and within a few years she had established not just a label but also a footwear factory and two shoe stores. Her focus has always been on excellent craftsmanship; all of her designs are handmade, hand embroidered, hand… you get the picture.

I’m a fan of her more adventurous designs, but I really love the twist she gives to traditional shoe styles…

Ms Giobbi recently joined design forces with shoemaker Jorge Guimaraes to create the label Isla Castilla. Like her eponymous label, these shoes don’t follow fashion. Ms Giobbi says she is inspired by what is around her rather than prevailing trends, so these aren’t designs that will be out of fashion next season. She is also deeply religious and credits God with giving her inspiration.

Francesca Giobbi footwear is available through her shop in Sao Paolo and through e-closet, a Brazilian mail order site which is in Portuguese (it is compatible with Google translator). There are contact details on her site that you can use to make enquiries about stockists in your area. The pickings are slim, but I am hoping that more retailers will continue to pick up her label. The website for her new label Isla Castilla is still under construction, but keep checking up on it here. There are plans for a 100% environmentally responsible label as an offshoot of Isla Castilla, which I am very excited about. I will write about that as soon as information and designs are made available.

Please support independent shoe designers!