My story in shoes
is a mixture of working with luxury, premium lifestyle and commercial fashion brands which has taken me all over the globe to design and develop a huge variety of shoes; everything from loafers and brogues to sneakers, sandals, espadrilles, heels, boots and more.
I’m a specialist in women’s shoe design with over 20 years experience having graduated the renowned footwear design school Cordwainers College, London in 2002 with a 1st class hons degree.
After graduating I moved to Antwerp in Belgium to work for fashion designer Dries Van Noten. What I learnt from Dries has shaped my creative outlook and formed the basis of the designer I am today; able to follow my own creative instincts to develop original ideas and concepts which I infuse with a love of colour, texture and the small details which make a big impact. I’m always striving to make the most beautiful shoes possible whether that be a statement heel for a catwalk show or a best selling sneaker.
My background in luxury fashion allows me to bring a different perspective to commercial projects. As Head of Design at FitFlop I was able to elevate the product range in both quality and creativity, leading the design team to think differently and introduce a directional capsule collection bought by leading fashion stores such as Harvey Nichols and Corso Como 10.
I have twice had my own women’s shoe collection, the first based in Barcelona under the start up brand Te Casan which launched designer collections in an exclusive boutique in New York. And in 2013 together with my shoemaker husband Tom I set up my own luxury shoe brand CHAPTER 2 which centres around our shared love of timeless design and quality craftsmanship. Initially started with the idea to create the most beautiful shoes for children CHAPTER 2 was regularly featured in all major kid’s fashion publications. In 2019 we launched an aspirational collection of boots for women which has since become the sole focus for the brand.
My design studio and footwear workshop is based near Lewes in East Sussex but I regularly travel to London and Italy to create shoes and source materials. Whilst working in accessories factories in northern Italy as a young designer I taught myself to speak Italian; learning from the pattern makers, machinists and factory owners around me. Being able to confidently speak Italian continually proves invaluable as it allows me to communicate my designs effectively, source materials and to build strong relationships with Italian tanneries and footwear manufacturers.
Throughout my career I’ve always been more than just a shoe designer. With a strong background in product development, range building and a creative vision I love nothing more than to design interesting shoes and to bring new ideas to life.