Nicholas Kirkwood started designing shoes while working for the hat maker Philip Treacy during his years as a student at the Saint Martins School. Then he went to Cordwainers England’s most prestigious design schools, to study shoemaking.
In 2005, he won first place in Condé Nast’s young talented shoemakers competition. The following collection was a success: clean, assertive lines, no flourishes, nothing baroque, new volumes, a new interpretation of the platform and heels. Kirkwood’s challenge is still to strike a balance between two opposing aspects of femininity: assertiveness and softness.
