Model-turned-shoe-designer Brian Atwood, pictured at the Room in Toronto last week, names many of his sky-high heels after famous women du jour. Tom Sandler for The Globe and MailThe Globe and Mail
Thanks to Sex and the City, Christian Louboutin, Manolo Blahnik and Jimmy Choo have long been the holy trinity of high-end women's footwear - until now.
Milan-based American designer Brian Atwood, a relative newcomer to the field, has ascended the ranks quickly since he started designing in 2001 and currently counts celebrities such as Kate Hudson, Madonna and Gwyneth Paltrow among his fans. One reason? His signature hidden platforms boast a distinctively pronounced toe box that is equal parts feminine and fetishist.
A former model who transitioned into designing ready-to-wear for Versace, Atwood goes for sexy glamour, imbuing his designs with reflective surfaces, jewelled embellishments and rows of gold studs.
He also likes to give his shoes pop-cultural currency by sometimes naming them after well-known women of the moment, from the ubiquitous Lady Gaga to Dorota, the fictional maid on Gossip Girl.
During a visit last week to Toronto, where he signed women's soles and showed off his spring offerings at the Room, the luxurious retail space at the Bay's downtown flagship, Atwood rested his feet long enough to talk about flats, fragrance and a frowned-upon museum habit.
When a woman walks into a room, the first thing you look at is …
Her shoes! I've caught myself doing that … and sometimes it's really obvious.
Was it always like that?
No, not before I got into this.
What did you want to be as a kid?
A rock star or an architect. I loved building things with a foundation, like, I guess, a shoe … But wasn't until I was working at Versace and was asked to design shoes for haute couture that I really got my hands dirty in a shoe factory.
Why don't you do flats?
I do flats, but the stores don't buy them because their customer wants that [he points to a pair of high heels]
Do you think women can still be sexy in flats?
Definitely. But in their heads, it's high heels [that are sexy] When a man compliments you on your shoes, it's not going to be the kitten heel.
Compare your early designs to those of now.
Well, the heels are higher. A four-inch heel then was like a six-inch now.
Why do you think heels have become so high?
Because we've gotten used to it … Everyone is doing it and people want that silhouette.
But not everyone is able to pull it off.
[It takes]practice, practice, practice.
Do you think people need tutorials to walk in your shoes?
They just need to go home, close the door and walk around, especially when [the shoes]are this high because [women]think they can walk in anything. Nothing is worse than seeing someone who can't walk.
What collection are you
working on now?
We're working on cruise 2010, which will show in June.
Where are you drawing
inspiration from?
I just went to the Museum of Modern Art in New York and saw [works by]Jackson Pollock and Yves Klein. I take so many pictures that the [security people get upset] I usually carry sketchbooks with me everywhere I go and I always keep fabric swatches and colours. Eventually, I will mount a show and display everything.
Do you see yourself doing any mass collaborations?
Definitely. I think it's great to have your whipped cream on top of the sundae, but why not have the whole sundae? And it's always a compliment to see someone wearing your shoes, whether [they cost]$1,000 or $200.
When do you think we went from being in an It bag moment to an It shoe moment?
I would say three or four years ago, when the shoe just became what you needed and, in terms of your outfit, your core foundation.
People collect your shoes. What's the largest collection that you're aware of?
I think someone has 1,000 pairs.
Will we be seeing eau de Atwood any time soon?
For sure, even clothing, because I can sew a pattern. Anything that goes along with the brand - if it makes sense, I'm not opposed to doing any of it.
Would it smell like you or like a woman who wears your shoes?
That's interesting - probably more the [latter] but it would have to be a scent that I love, too. I don't need to be narcissistic about it, but I like fresher scents like figs and not all women can do that.
Is a retail store in the cards?
For sure, I'd say within the year. And probably an online store, because I think that's so important.
I'm sure that everyone always asks you if you plan to do men's shoes.
You're the fourth person today. Who knows - eventually!