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When I tell you that inspiration can come from anywhere, I really mean it. When I sit down to conceptualize a new piece, my “process” tends to be as fluid and unique as the shoes that it produces. Above all else, I’m a person who loves art, especially the innocuous & anachronistic art that surrounds us all the time in day-to-day life.
The unique shapes, colors, contours and textures of daily objects, art, collectibles and places tend to be the defining force that guides my creation process. An excellent example of this process in action is the creation of our Fall favorite, the Trapper boot. Our Trapper Boot is inspired by the classic trapper hat, a famous form of winter hat with origins in the traditional Russian ushanka, whose form provides dynamic functionality for cold weather environments with ear flaps that fold up when not in use. Like the ushanka, our Trapper boot combines form and function, with foldable flaps that provide protection from the cold when up and stylish flare when down. You can even wear them halfway up for a mid-height silhouette that should pair beautifully with any Fall ensemble.
The Trapper Boot is included in our Fall Giveaway, so be sure to register here to enter to win a free pair of your own, or...
Fortuna is the perfect mix between the classic loafer and a comfortable slide, the ultimate hybrid shoe for a season of transitions. You can wear them both ways depending on your mood and the tone of the occasion. Beyond the function of the Fortuna, I added some punch to a multi-functional classic style with fun textures and colors. I love the final result and find the interesting and exciting combinations of colors, textures and patterns add a perfect pop of color to any Fall outfit you decide to style them with!
The Hunter boots are some of my favorites. I wanted to create an everyday boot but with an unexpected twist to juxtapoz the classic with the creative. Hunter is your go-to boot, with a chunky heel and square toe to make it more modern and urban. I especially love the sage suede colorway for Autumn. I don’t think I’ve ever made a more Fall-friendly pair of shoes, and I hope you love wearing them as much as I loved designing them!
Creating pieces that combine form and function is always the challenge in luxury footwear design. The unique challenge I try to face myself with goes a step beyond though. To me, the ultimate challenge lies in forming pieces that combine multiple uses with multiple aesthetics - all within one shoe.
Patricia is one of the newest classics to come from the Andrea Gomez lineup. As sleek and modern as they are vibrant, Patricia is the perfect shoe for navigating the transitioning seasons with style and flare. Patricia is a spinoff to the classic chic slingback, the elegant pointy toe silhouette combined with the young vibrant tie dye print is the perfect shoe to transition from summer to fall. All the vibrance of a tropical summer getaway, with all the practicality of a seasonal classic.
In a season characterized by color, the Iman, Gioia & Flora are wildly differing examples of some of my favorite combinations and methods. Color is one of my favorite spaces to play around in, and the combination of unique patterns with unique colors is something that I feel characterizes much of my work. Arranging colors and discovering the peculiarities of their interactions leads to outcomes outside of my control, and the Iman in teal/camel faux python is a great example of this process in action.
I do the same with textures and materials, combining them, altering them, discovering their natural hierarchies and modifying them to accommodate the developing vision.
Flora’s a great example of the more subdued spectrum of my creative process - sometimes when you allow yourself to throw everything at a design, all the unnecessary parts come to the forefront, where they can be easily stripped away. Flora in black suede was an opportunity for me to go into the design process with an undefined vision, and come out of it with something more sleek, subtle and elegant than I ever expected.
The Gioia in leopard hair calf on the other hand, was the product of thinking outside the box and actively searching for unique methods of creation - combining disparate processes, materials, textures, patterns and colors to form something that feels as innovative as it is effortless.
No matter which design speaks to you, I hope you’ll find the pair that makes you think of Fall every time you slip them on.