We all clearly remember 2009 as the year of ostentatious shoes. A time when Nina Ricci’s mile-high heelless platforms became a way of life, and Giuseppe Zanotti’s foot glittery confections dazzled from here to the moon. But as soon as Alexander McQueen shocked the fashion world with his Pluto Atlantis chompers in his spring/summer 2010 collection, the shoe game reached a new peak. And based on his young protégé’s learning, winning means staying on par with the trends.
Canadian-born cobbler Anastasia Radevich internships under Alexander McQueen and Nicholas Kirkwood have resonated well with her calling. The London College of Fashion grad’s début foot collection, ‘Biofuture’, is an intricate range of whimsical fantasies from the underworld. Talk about swimming in your shoes! The Crystal blue suede constructions concocted with caged heels and black claw-like metallic booties are not as damaging as McQueen’s, but they’re just as fierce. But don’t be fooled, she’s been honing her skills way before crossing the pond.
Prior to her newfound London fame, Radevich got her start working under the Aldo Group in Montreal and designed under All Saints founders’ Bolongaro Trevor brand.
You emphasize that you have a strong lineage in shoe design, but did you always see yourself actually carrying out the tradition?
Not really, I was always curious about the world around and never took shoes serious. At the same time I was involved in the shoe business since childhood and this craftsmanship became a method of expressing what I feel.
You did internships at Alexander McQueen and Nicholas Kirkwood. What did these experiences teach you?
The biggest asset that I gained while working at Alexander McQueen was the concept that nothing is impossible! Plus meeting great people, of course. Whenever there was a serious challenge and things seemed unfeasible to do, I was encouraged not to stop and continue looking for solutions.
At Nicholas Kirkwood I’ve learned the importance of having the right people around the brand. Alexander McQueen is renowned for his Gothic-religious references. Did working under him push you aesthetically, and culturally?
Working there definitely pushed all of us!
The shoes look rather “delicate” what is the key to in your designing strategy that makes the shoes comfortable and wearable?
Proper last, lots of tests, and thoughtful engineering.
What’s the best piece of advice you were ever given?
Do what you feel is right
What separates you from other shoes designers out there?
Aesthetics
You lived in London, the melting pot for the fashion world. Why did you decide to return to Canada?
It is home. I’m still jumping around, by the way!
Are there any upcoming collaborations or major projects in the works for 2011?
Yes, collaborations-first for NY Fashion week and then for the London
Fashion week. Everything will be up on the website. And there are a few projects cooking at the moment.
