Posts Tagged Shoes
One On One Break | Lucca | Noa Luria | Shoes For The Road

  • Louie
  • Prince
  • Juliet
  • Disco
  • Izabella
It’s no secret that I’m a bit crazy when it comes to my shoe collection. After closely following Noa Luria’s “Lucca” it was time for me to get some answers from the lady whom I can’t get enough of her creations. I’ve written about her line not once but twice, so I decided it’s time for a One On One Break.

www.luccashoes.com
I’d love to hear about you, your journey, how it all began.
I started my professional education in art and design studies at he H.I.T. Holon Institute of Technology and then continued with shoe design studies at Achilles. After I graduated from Achilles, I started working on a pair of boots in order to learn and understand the working process from the sketch to the final production.
In the summer of 2008 I founded my own brand and started working under the name “Lucca”. My first model was a pair of flip flops with textile elastic bands in various colors. The responses from costumers were great. After this experience I decided to make my first handcrafted leather collection. Since then I keep on doing so every season.
NoaLuria
Can you describe your work process?
when I start my design process I usually have a main idea about how I want my collection to feel and look like. This idea can be abstract or a figurativ image that will be translated into a sketch. This transition from an idea to a shoe and the figurativ research is the most fascinating part in the design process.NoaLuria
Which materials do you work with?
Leather is the main material that I work with. Recently I started combining textile and industrial materials and would like to use any material that will agree to become a shoe.NoaLuria
What is the most unusual piece you have ever designed?
My Disco Shoes. Those shoes may not be the most exceptional, but they are definitely one of my favorites, especially since they represents the way I see my self as a designer.NoaLuria
What’s next? What is your dream?
My dream is to continue developing and improving my visual language in order to become a better designer, and by doing so I will be able to expand my shoe brand.NoaLuria
If you had an extra hour each day what would you do with it?
If I had an extra hour during the day I would use it for day dreaming.NoaLuria
I’m curious to know where does your inspiration come from?
As children we imagine ourselves as grownups: how will we look like? what will we do? where will we work? who will we marry? We all have ambitions and desires for our future, but in real life, we don’t necessarily pursue or reach those dreams. This gap that exists between fantasy and reality is my constant place of search and inspiration.NoaLuria
Can you tell me which websites and blogs do you visit regularly?
One of my favorite blogs is The Street Walker. It’s a wonderful and energetic blog and it has links to similar websites all over the world. This is as close as a virtual travel can get to a real one.NoaLuria
What is the best advice you’ve ever received?
“All you shoe designers look the same”. That was the sentence I heard right after my first collection was done. This sentence is not precisely true but it is definitely a reminder to always look for my own voice and visual language. I carry this sentence with me till this day and always try to examine my work, try to be aware and look for ways to differentiate my designs. I check every model in the collection as an individual and also as part of the collection.NoaLuria

Roni Kantor | Feels Like Going Back In Time

I have been meaning to write about Roni Kantor for a while now. It all started with an e-mail I wrote her asking about her vintage clothing line but then I discovered that this talented lady with the eye for vintage started designing her own shoe line as well. The floor tiles, the socks that add some spice and of course the shoes themselves make me see vintage in a new way…
Oh, Roni designs heels as well but you know me, I’m a flats gal ;)
Roni’s facebook page is yours to keep and you can have your own vintage flavor at Roni’s Sense Of Fashion page.
You can get in touch with Roni here:
ronikantor {at} gmail {dot} com

One On One Break | Oded Arama | Put Yourself In His Shoes

  • Autumn/Winter 2010/11 | Magnum
  • Autumn/Winter 2010/11 Collection
  • Autumn/Winter 2010/11 | Florian
  • Spring/Summer 2010 | Black Moiré Taffeta and Fine Black Calf Upper
  • Spring/Summer 2010 | Golden Moiré Taffeta and Fine Black Calf Upper
  • Spring/Summer 2010 | Light Camel Nubuck Upper
  • Oded's inspiration Board
I’m inspired by driven people and with this guy, I guess it’s an understatement!
Oded Arama looks like the guy who knows what he wants and isn’t afraid to go for it, full speed. That’s why this time my One On One Break is extra special to me. The fact that at this moment Oded designs only men shoes makes me love him even more. We need men like him around here!
That doesn’t mean I won’t look for his creations for women.
His blog and Etsy shop are just a mouse click away.

www.so-arama.com
I’d love to hear about you, your journey, how it all began.
I guess I have always been drawn to shoes. Starting at the age of 5 when I first watched a short TV film about the industrial shoemaking process. I always found the way a shoe is made to be magical. The way a piece of fine leather, an insole, a shank and beautiful sole can transform into a gorgeous 3d object. Beautiful to view on it’s own and even more on the wearer. A shoe can transform a look from casual to elegant in seconds, as well as our posture and walk.
Years later, as I was about to obtain my BDes in Fashion Design at Shenkar College of Engineering and Design, I was working with a shoemaker in Tel Aviv to help me create the shoes for my womenswear collection. I was absolutely amazed by the creative process for the shoes and its beautiful outcome and just had the feeling it was only the beginning of something much greater. Months later I travelled to London for a very exciting internship in fashion studio Preen, where I had the privilege of being part of the creative process for the 2009 spring/summer collection. Later that summer, I applied for a footwear diploma at Cordwainers College which is one of London College of Fashion schools. I had an amazing experience learning the craft of shoemaking where legends such as Georgina Goodman, Rupert Sanderson, Nicholas Kirkwood and Jimmy Choo made their first steps in the footwear arena. Finally, I realized my dream – opening a luxury footwear brand for men, based in the city of Tel Aviv.
OdedArama
Can you describe your work process?
My work varies from design aspects to manufacture, distribution and PR. The design process is very long and rewarding at the same time.
It would either begin with a sketch, a photo or a piece of material I simply go crazy for. Next, I would copy the design’s lines to the last that seems to be the most suitable for my design. I would forward it to my pattern-maker for the first pattern. Then I would proceed to work with my manufacturer, doing as many samples as it takes to make my visual dreams come true (this process usually takes 1-2 months).
I tend to create the samples and then make up my mind which ones are the strongest one to be part of the actual collection.
OdedArama
Which materials do you work with?
Since I have Graduated my BA in Fashion Design at Shenkar College of Engineering and Design, I believe I have gained a strong knowledge and openness towards different sorts of materials. Therefore, I like using anything from amazing moire taffeta fabric to genuine black calf leather. My soles are all leather, which makes them very comfortable and breathable.OdedArama
What is the most unusual piece you have ever designed?
While studying at London College of Fashion I have designed a black square-toe shoe with a very unusual leather sole unit, that looked amazing with a unique silhouette.OdedArama
Do you think you will ever design women shoes?
It’s actually “in the making”, but that’s all I can say for the time being…OdedArama
What’s next? What is your dream?
I have lots of dreams and ideas.I would like to expand my collections in the upcoming future, establish international selling points and open a cozy boutique in Tel Aviv. I love collaborations and so I would love to collaborate with other artists and designers to create interesting projects together.OdedArama
If you had an extra hour each day what would you do with it?
Probably a lot!
Even though life has a tendency to have you make the most of less time. It’s all about time management!
OdedArama
I’m curious to know where does your inspiration come from?
I believe I am like a vessel filled with different sorts of visual beauties that attracts me. Each time I design I would reach to something that “feels right” and that would be the starting point, and later things would evolve further on… I admire photography art by Man Ray, abstract paintings by Gerhard Richter, music by Bjork and Tori Amos and the beauty of organic shapes in nature.OdedArama
Can you tell me which designers inspire you?
I admire the late New Yorker footwear designer Beth Levine for her amazing creations. I am inspired by the work of the late French designer Madeleine Vionnet for her views about the design process and timeless design signature.OdedArama
What about some websites and blogs that you visit regularly?
I really like checking stumbleupon.com, where I always find interesting things happening. I also like The Shoe Snob, a very interesting blog by a young footwear designer living in the U.K.OdedArama
What is the best advice you’ve ever received?
I don’t believe there is such a thing as “best advice”. I learn new things everyday from people around me: family, friends, colleagues and clients. I would say the most important thing is to be open-minded to the world around you.OdedArama

One On One Break | Kobi Levi | A Sculpture To Wear

  • Olive Oyl | 2011
  • Blond Ambition | 2011
  • Miao | 2010
  • Blow | 2010
  • Slide | 2010
  • XXX Pump | 2010
  • Shoola | Fanny Shoe | Socks by Rupa
Today is the opening day of “Walkable”, a retrospective of Kobi Levi’s work. His designs are all over the blogosphere these days so I’m honored Kobi took the time to answer my questions.
You can watch an Hebrew friendly interview with him (click it anyway, you’ll get a sneak peek at his studio).
Kobi’s creations at his blog are just around the corner.
You can get in touch with Kobi here:
kobilvi {at} 012 {dot} net {dot} il
I’d love to hear about you, your journey, how it all began.
I’ve always liked shoes as an artistic object as well as a fashion accessory. I find shoes more interesting than clothes since they have a life of their own. I started to design shoes when I was in high school, but was making cardboard models then… I pursued my passion at the Bezalel Academy of Art and Design, studying jewelry and accessories design. After my graduation, I also put a lot of effort to learn a lot of techniques to help me develop my ideas into actual shoes.KobiLevi
Can you describe your work process for me?
An idea can just “pop up” and I keep thinking about it until I decide to start developing it. Or, I choose a theme and start my visual research for related
images. I start with 2D sketches, from various angles, then, if it feels right I continue to make a 3D model that will develop into a first real
pair.
KobiLevi
Which materials do you work with?
I “let” the idea decide which materials will work best. I like to work with various materials, traditional like leather and textile to others like wood, plastics, metal etc’…KobiLevi
What is the most unusual piece you have ever designed?
Well, I think I’m pushing the limit with each new design… that keeps things more interesting… I’m working on a new piece that I think is the most unusual so far…still a secret. You’ll see…KobiLevi
What’s next? What is your dream?
I hope this artistic line will grow more, also the commercial line I’m working on, “Shoola”, women’s fashion shoes.KobiLevi
If you had an extra hour each day what would you do with it?
More designs… Yes… Workaholic… But it is fun when it is about creation.KobiLevi
I’m curious to know where does your inspiration come from?
Literally everywhere and everything, from images I choose to situations that “hint” a design… I like to design with things that are not common as an inspiration or maybe take a “common” theme and design with it in a totally different way.KobiLevi
Can you tell me which designers inspire you?
I like things from various people as I look at the creations more than the name. To name a few, I like Alexander Macqueen and Vivienne westwood. I find their work exciting with their own unique “signature”.KobiLevi
What about some websites and blogs that you visit regularly?
Virtual Shoe Museum is a great website with a huge shoe images collection and DesignBoom is another website that showcase interesting shoe design.KobiLevi
What is the best advice you’ve ever received?
I think the best one was to “just do what you believe in and feel that it’s good”. Not to hesitate, just go for it and see, why not?!KobiLevi

UnaUna | Creation

I wish I could be a fly on the wall at Almog and Mira’s studio. Some might say that a shoe is only a shoe (I’m sure they are not talking about you) but these ladies take it all to a whole new level! Their structures and shapes are as unique as can be.
You can re-visit their Greek Collection and their Black Safari Collection.
{Photos by Guy Gilad}

www.una-una.com

Oded Ezer | Stained

Oded Ezer is my idol, there is no question about it!
He has this amazing ability to turn even the most common high heels into a work of art. I’m not that into heels but this pair would be a perfect fit to my shoe collection. Just for the sake of me starring at them 24/7.
BTW, Oded’s shoes are part of an exhibition that deals with the shoe as a raw material and as a work of art, just like Yaara Keydar’s shoes that I wrote about before.
{Photos by Dror Ben Naftalli}

www.odedezer.com

Lucca Shoes | Noa Luria | At The Disco

My lovely readers, I’m having a hard time deciding which pair to chose. Both of them are to die for but… I only can have one… at least at this moment ;)
BTW, Noa has a habit of giving me hard times with her creations… you can look back.

www.luccashoes.com

ShoeMaker | Inbar Yosifon | Tail of shoes

There is something quite intriguing in Inbar Yosifon’s point of view.
Would you wear a tail on your shoe? I know I would ;)

www.shoemaker.co.il

Yaara Keydar | Use your imagination

Yaara is one of my idols in the Israeli blogosphere. She does it all: a fashion designer, fashion writer, editor and blogger and I’m sure the list goes on and on… Her Hebrew friendly blog, Nekudot, is full with endless inspiration. You should definitely take a peak even if you’re not familiar with the language. The images will do the work.
I have to say something about Yaara’s stunning shoe design which is part of an exhibition that deals with the shoe as a raw material and as a work of art.
BTW, “Nekudot” means dots in Hebrew.

www.yaarakeydar.com

Michal Miller | Walk the walk

  • Skyline
I can’t believe that I’m actually saying this but even here, in the hotter than hell Israel, it feels like the fall is a step away…
Michal’s nude “skyline boots” made me consider saying goodbye to summer…
Oh, and I have to admit that nude is my favorite trend by far.
You can refresh your memory about Michal’s previous collection right here.

michalmillershoes.blogspot.com

Carla Reichman | Take a Bow

The previous collection was all about butterflies. This time it’s all about “bows, ties and heartstrings”. What can I say, bows work for me any day of the year so… Carla definitely won me over with her lovely and right on point details.
You can get in touch with Carla here:
in.carlas.shoes {at} gmail {dot} com

Student Break | Lihi Laskar-Dangoor | Step by Step

How do you wear your shoes?
I find Lihi’s way refreshing and intriguing.
“The shoes series was created while observing the evolution and structures I found in nature, while focusing on phenomenon that join different layers and pieces and construct a single whole. The research led me to translate the accumulating layers into a series of gradual steps that assemble different parts to its final form.”
Lihi is a 2010 Graduate of the Jewelry and Fashion Department of Bezalel Academy of Art and Design.
{Photos by Alex Pargament}
You can get in touch with Lihi here:
lihi.laskar {at} gmail {dot} com

UnaUna | The Greek Collection | Typographic Shoes

  • Rhino
  • Penguin
  • Stork
  • Seal
  • Black Swan
I have a feeling that I’m gonna write about UnaUna’s each and every collection. This time, their Greek Collection is accompanied with a brilliant catalog designed by Lital Cohen from the 3bears studio.
Almog and Mira, you have done it again! Love your concept, love your shoes, love it all!
{Photos by Guy Gilad}

www.una-una.com

Shani Bar | Oxford Crush

This time there is no need to add any words…

www.shanibar.com

Couple Of | Wash As You Go

I’m loving the idea of designing in two. Shelly and Elon Satat-Kombor are doing it for quite some time now and apparently it works really well for them.
I’m really amazed by the way they use color in their summer 2010 collection. This washed used outcome makes me want to buy one of each.
{Photos by Amir Yahel}

www.coupleof.co.il

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