Biography
My career started out in Northamptonshire, where I had the rare opportunity to cut my teeth in the design and pattern offices of some incredible shoe factories that are now unfortunately just a distant memory. I am very grateful for this practical start, as I think it is a great foundation to build a great design career upon.
I moved to London and worked at Shellys Shoes in the late 90's where fashion footwear really was at its height, we produced footwear for the biggest celebrities and some movies. At this time we still had manufacture in the UK, but the majority was in Portugal, Spain and Italy and we were also just starting to experiment with Chinese production.
Next I moved into the world of fashion sports brands, working more intensely with branding applications, custom sole units and a wealth of man-made materials, travelling around Asia learning alternative footwear constructions and processes.
In more recent years, I have written footwear copy for WGSN and worked in Denmark for two of their largest footwear brands, but no matter how long you remain in the shoes business, it is always evolving, so you never stop learning.
When I am not working, I enjoy updating my home and take a keen interest in architecture and interior design, I also have a workshop on the ground floor of my home, where I enjoy hand making shoes, it really makes you appreciate the intricacies of traditional shoe making.
I also have a passion for travel, for work or for pleasure; meeting new people and experiencing other cultures is quite exhilarating.