Nicholas Kirkwood’s designs are unusual to say the least. He often designs the catwalk shoes for other designers or brands like Victoria’s Secret, Rodarte or Erdem, but it is in his own shoe line that he can truly give his creative brain free rein. This results in a deliciously colorful collection for fall/ winter 2012. It is often said that Kirkwood is filling the gap in the market for statements shoes which are in the same league as Philip Treacy’s hats and both Alexander McQueen and Hussein Chalayan’s clothes. With references to these gentlemen it is no surprise that Kirkwood’s designs are very architectural. He is famous for his odd shapes and innovative use of materials. The collection for fall/ winter 2012 is no exception. The collection is very versatile for a number of reasons. With colors like orange, purple, blue, gold, red, grey and black the options to combine these shoes with your outfit are virtually unlimited. But it’s not just the colors which are out of control.
As expected from Kirkwood the materials are pretty wild too with things like patent leather, suede, strass, python, cobra and brocade fabric. Perhaps the most striking thing about this collection is the shape of the shoes. There are boots, flats, towering high heels and so on. But all of them have something special about them. Some of the shoes have a slightly odd looking bulge in the stiletto heel. Others have Kirkwood’s trademark angled platform or an enormous bow. It is clear that these shoes will definitely not be everyone’s cup of tea, but there’s no denying Kirkwood’s genius and skill. He is undoubtedly one of the most talented shoe designers out there and it is refreshing to see someone who dares to go off the beaten path and experiment with shape, color and materials.
No comments:
Post a Comment