I am originally from Toronto, Canada. I have a fine art background. I moved to London in 2004 to complete my BA which I finished with 1st class honors from LCf in Womenswear FDT. I continued to study and was certified in creative pattern cutting for the industry after which I began my MA in Fashion Footwear

The concept for this MA Project was born out of looking at the juxtaposition between religions and their respective Gods; the idea that similar objects and ideas can exist side-by-side one another, both literally and figuratively, and still be worlds apart. After some visual research I was able to pick out some common themes between the various religions (Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism). I found the most evidence in the intricate patterns that were formed on the walls of temples, the complex weaving that was used in many ceremonial articles, as well as in the complicated texts of the language, different for each religion. Another recognizable element was the use of precious metal, the most common being gold. It seems that other metals have also had quite a widespread use. Many structures were adorned in the beauty of flashing gold, shinning copper, and subtle silver. Metal threads are used to embellish many aspects of interior design, clothing, and footwear. The list goes on and on and, consequently, it is useful to start by blending these two similarities into one.

As well as looking into the religious sectors of the world, I also chose to take inspiration from beautiful shoes from the 1950s. Having begun my footwear research with the 1940s, I was able to see architectural beauty transformed into footwear that encompassed the use of unusual materials and shapes to achieve a different and accessible look. While I found this all to be quite intriguing, it wasn’t enough to grasp my full interest and it wasn’t until my research reached the 1950s that I was thoroughly engaged. A period of pure elegance and glamour, the 50s is truly a moment in time. I was able to find excitement in my research and splendor in everything I was looking at. With the accomplishment of Roger Vivier’s invention of the Stiletto heel in 1954, the world soon saw a different approach from which to work. I will continue to work with this idea of sophistication, luxury and, most importantly, beauty.

What I set out to do is create something that combines the ideals from religious embellishment and the innovative design of the 50s era. The idea of using precious metal formulated into intricate patterns, blending both the Judaic text with the Islamic tile work and situating all of these elements on a slender, simple and stunning shoe is an idea that really speaks to me.