Magnificent Five

The world of shoe design has its own authorities - people who managed to make not just beautiful and high-quality shoes, but created their own style, which causes a lot of imitations. We will tell you about the five most famous designers in the world that every shoemaker should know about.

Christian Louboutin: red is beautiful

French designer Christian Louboutin in the world of shoe fashion is a patrician aristocrat whose shoes are very expensive: from 350 to 6 000 dollars per pair. Representatives of celebrity castes provide up to a third of sales, and along with Jimmy Choo and Manolo Blahnik, the Christian Louboutin brand is one of the three manufacturers of the most chic shoes in the world.

Christian Louboutin shoes are designed to elevate femininity to the extreme. "I am opposed to the 'hands-on' approach to shoe production," Louboutin once admitted to reporters. He makes shoes that are designed to seduce, and creates its image from many elements: smooth lines, exciting curves and cutouts of the top of shoes, thin heels that look like a flower stalk - it was not for nothing that Monsieur Louboutin was engaged in landscape design in his youth, - reptile leather, velvet, satin , bows, beads and other components of women's happiness.

Louboutin managed to create a unique style and make several discoveries in the shoe fashion industry, for which, in fact, he is praised by shoe connoisseurs. Perhaps the most striking touch “Louboutin” style - red soles on all shoe models without exception, which he even patented. But the red sole is, perhaps, just a “trick.” Louboutin's main achievement is that in the late 80s he designed a new type of egg-shaped pump. They had a slightly more open cutout at the toe than was previously customary, due to which the toes were flirtatiously revealed, and attention was drawn to the arch of the foot. The most famous model of such shoes is The Pigalle features a predatory tapered toe, a plunging toe-baring neckline and a 12cm heel. Uncomfortable? Yes, but these are not sneakers. “Louboutins,” as fashionistas familiarly call shoes Louboutin, it’s like sweets: they are tasty and even sometimes healthy only in small doses. Other popular shoe models from Louboutin - high heel and open toe shoes Lady Peep and Very Prive, which are among the brand's best-selling models. Finally, we can’t ignore Alti—pumps with heels and a small platform, created with amazingly precise geometry and proportions.

From the life of a designer: the life of Christian Louboutin is a lot of romance and even more work. He was born in 1964 in the family of a carpenter, at the age of 12 he left school and got a job at the Parisian cabaret Folies Bergere, where he received his first impressions of women's shoes and, apparently, the sensuality associated with them. Louboutin already began drawing sketches of women's shoes, inspired by the performances of dancers. At the age of 18, he became a student of the famous shoe designer Charles Jourdan, who invented the platform shoe model, and also collaborated freelance with houses Chanel and Yves Saint Laurent. In 1988, 24-year-old Christian Louboutin began working for the house of Dior, and at the age of 29 he opened his first boutique in Paris.

Jimmy choo: between convenience and luxury

The Jimmy Choo brand is closely related to the concept of "respectability." And if in shoes from Louboutin seductiveness and luxury come to the fore, then in the case of shoes from Jimmy Chu we can talk about a considerable fraction of common sense. The designer strives to ensure that the woman in Jimmy Choo heels can not only feel beautiful, but also spend time at the party without writhing like an Andersen's little mermaid. “Shoes should be comfortable in the first place, but their beauty is just as important,” said Jimmy Chu. He pays great attention to aesthetics, and it is not without reason that celebrities have come to love his shoes no less than Christian Louboutin shoes. Jimmy Chu is considered the author of shoes for Oscar winners - many Hollywood stars stepped on the red carpet in his shoes.

Jimmy Chu achieved success primarily due to professionalism and creative imagination, the ability to work painstakingly, paying attention to every millimeter of created shoes. The designer did not revolutionize fashion, but managed to achieve high quality and durability of shoes while maintaining the elegance of form. Jimmy Choo shoes are made only from natural materials - thin calf leather, suede, python leather and decorated with natural stones, silver elements, gilt buckles, vintage jewelry and leather rivets.

The most popular among fashionistas are Jimmy Choo sandals and evening stilettos. These are models made of reptile leather with complex weaves of straps that gracefully wrap around the leg, on a high platform or 10-12-centimeter stiletto heels. High sales also show sandals in a distinctly Greek style and desperately flirty sandals that would look natural on cabaret dancers. The most famous model in this style is the bright purple Feather sandals, decorated with blue feathers, fur and crystals, and featured in the famous TV series Sex and the City. Other iconic Jimmy Choo models include lilac pointed-toe pumps made of shiny Tippi leather, Raquel heeled sandals with four tiers of suede fringe, and flirty open-toed Brigitte pumps in red and white check and with a pair of deliberately simply tied bows. Actress Natalie Portman received an Oscar in open, dazzling white satin shoes, and Tamara Mellon, co-founder of the Jimmy Choo brand and colleague of the designer, appeared in public in Fleur shoes with black and white stripes and a scarlet rose.

From the life of a designer: Jimmy Choo was born in 1961 in Malaysia, and began his training and career as a shoe designer in London. Jimmy had an interest in shoes since childhood: he made his first pair with his own hands at the age of 11. In 1986, Jimmy Choo opened his shoe workshop in London. He made beautiful, eye-catching shoes that appeared on the pages of fashion magazines, but nothing more. A fateful meeting for him was Tamara Mellon, the daughter of a businessman and editor of British Vogue. Tamara saw talent in Jimmy Choo and persuaded her father to invest money in promoting the young designer’s own brand. In 1996, the first Jimmy Choo brand boutique was opened in London, at the same time the debut of the joint collection of Jimmy Choo and Tamara Mellon took place.

Manolo Blahnik: shoe fantasies

The shoes of the Spanish shoe designer Manolo Blahnik can be accurately described as “unusual”. Blahnik experiments with both form and material, boldly combining elements of the avant-garde and timeless classics, adding unexpected extravagant details and always observing impeccable quality. Manolo Blahnik has always been a tireless workaholic and perfectionist who worked for the long term. “It took me so many years to figure out how to make beautiful and technically perfect shoes,” the designer admitted.

Before becoming one of the key figures in the world of shoe fashion, Manolo Blahnik made a stellar career by working for Calvin Klein, Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Dior. In the 70 years, the designer made a revolution in the world of shoe design, amid the dominance of platform shoes, he created a new version of classic women's shoes with a pointed toe, a high thin heel and a deep neckline that opens fingers and bends the feet. In 1971, Blahnik introduced the famous Ossie shoe model - sandals with green straps imitating leaves and a cherry-shaped decor.

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In the early 90s, a new product came out of the hand of the master, which became another discovery in the world of fashion: the designer was the first in the world to develop a model of women's shoes, Gruyere, without a heel, but with a high instep, implying its presence. Blahnik's other shoe find is the long-toed one. a model without a heel called “mule”, the basis of the development of which was the silhouette of the Mediterranean mules, which is in the spirit of the designer’s fantasy style.

The visiting card of the Manolo Blahnik brand remains the shoe model yesterday and today. Campari, developed in 1994. These are classic pointed-toe pumps with stiletto heels, complemented by a strap with a round button on the instep.

From the life of a designer: Manolo Blahnik was born in 1942 in the Canary Islands - almost in paradise, according to the designer himself. He was surrounded by banana plantations, the sea and fashion magazines that his mother carefully subscribed to. She was seriously interested in fashion and even independently designed Catalan espadrilles, which were fashionable at that time, together with a local shoemaker, so Manolo Blahnik absorbed her interest in fashionable shoes almost with her mother’s milk. On the advice of his father, Manolo entered a linguistic college, but at the same time studied design, dreaming of becoming a theater artist. Manolo Blahnik was put on the true path of shoe fashion by the editor of American Vogue, who, having seen in the designer’s portfolio a sketch of a shoe decorated with a cherry branch and ivy, asked him the question: “Why don’t you make accessories? Work on shoes, you will succeed.” In the early 70s, Blahnik began to develop his shoe business, and so successfully that today his authority in the world of shoe fashion is beyond doubt.

Stuart Weitzman: brilliant work

Shoe designer Stuart Weitzman, known in the fashion press as the “sultan of stilettos” and the “shoe-jeweler,” has a special predisposition: he loves and knows how to work with precious materials. Weitzman makes complex models of shoes and sandals using gold, silver, platinum, diamonds, semi-precious stones, as well as using non-standard materials, such as vinyl, lacquered cork, plexiglass, thermoplastic and even wallpaper. One of Weizmann's most eye-catching designs is the pavé shoe line, hand-embellished with Swarovski crystals. Given the designer's passion for jewelry, it is not surprising that his shoes and sandals are among the top 10 most expensive shoes on the planet according to The Good Life magazine. Shoes under the Stuart Weitzman brand appeared on the market in 1986, and today the brand operates boutiques in 60 countries around the world.

The most famous Weizmann shoe model - “shoes for a million dollars,” made a splash in the fashion world. The shoes shown at the Academy Awards by actress Laura Harring were decorated with 464 diamonds on thin straps. In 2012, Weizmann introduced new shoes based on this model. They were called The Millionairess and were inlaid with Swarovski crystals.

Weizmann is a recognized cobbler of stars, a Hollywood man. Since 2002, he made it a rule to create an exclusive pair of shoes with jewelry on special order for the Oscars. In particular, at one of the Oscars, in the literal sense of the word, Diamond Dream and Retro Rose shoes shone, showered with small diamonds.

The designer firmly bends his line, strengthening the role of the most inaccessible shoemaker in the world: he is the author of the most expensive shoes of the year 2009 (shoes with 642 rubies on a platinum thread, the cost of 1 million 600 thousand dollars), as well as one of the most spectacular phenomena in the world of shoe fashion - sandals co-authored with jeweler Le Vian for 2 million dollars, decorated with tanzanite and diamonds.

From the life of a designer: Stuart Weitzman was born in 1942 in New York. It was destined for him to start producing shoes: Stuart’s father had a small shoe factory and was himself a shoe designer. Weitzman began his career as a shoe designer in the mid-80s, when the Stuart Weitzman brand was founded. It is noteworthy that Weitzman has an economic education: he graduated from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania in 1963. Perhaps this is precisely what accounts for his ability to produce not just beautiful, but also extremely profitable shoes. In 1995, Weitzman's first boutique opened in New York, and soon began to conquer the American market through boutiques in Las Vegas, Chicago, Boston and other cities. Today, Stuart Weitzman's shoes are sold in 70 countries around the world and represent not only ultra-expensive models, but also examples of design from traditional materials.

Brian Atwood: natural, like sex

Brian Atwood (Brian Atwood) - from a galaxy of young designers who entered the fashion arena, when the stars of Louboutin, Blanic and Jimmy Chu were already brightly burning on it. But he managed to ensure that his shoes more and more appear on the red carpet and flaunts on the feet of famous people. What is Atwood's secret? He is undoubtedly talented: in the 2003 year, the Council of Fashion Designers of the USA presented him with the award for the best accessory design, and in 2007 he was invited to the position of creative director of the Bally Fashion House. Atwood, in addition, managed to create a unique style: his shoes are not just exclusive, expensive and of high quality, but they are definitely sexy and shrouded in an aura of freedom and looseness. Atwood is inspired by the 70's era, when hippy movements were actively developing. His muses are top model Kate Moss and actress Lauren Hatton. Atwood loves ethnic motifs, suede and a hidden platform, and he manages to combine naturalness with chic, and perhaps this is his main achievement.

The most famous models of Atwood shoes are Loca suede shoes with transparent side inserts and golden rivets, heels in 14,5 centimeters and platform in 3 cm, as well as shoes of the Maniac Platform Pumps series in variations: leather, suede and satin. “Maniacs” have rounded noses, a high heel and a platform, which provides them with a very seductive look along with stability. Atwood Maniac shoes have a reputation as one of Hollywood's most fashionable accessories and are found in almost every Hollywood celebrity’s closet.

From the life of a designer: Brian Atwood was born in Chicago in 1963. He often tells reporters that his mother was a great fashionista, and he liked to look at and study her wardrobe. Perhaps the origins of Brian Atwood’s interest in shoemaking lie in his childhood experiences. Brian qualified as an architect and then studied to become a designer. Interestingly, Atwood began his career in the fashion world as a model, which is not entirely typical for shoe designers. He worked for 7 years on the catwalks of Paris, Milan and New York, but then it was time to reach a new level. Gianni Versace invited Brian to work on the Versus line, and Atwood's career as a designer began. He was the creative director of the Swiss shoe brand Bally, and in 2001 he launched his own brand. Now Atwood is completely focused on developing his own brand.