Talking shoes with Pierre Hardy The polymath on sneakers, eclecticism and the language of heels in 2018

It’s altered 180 degrees – to be the opposite of what it used to be. At the turn of the millennium, the accessory became more powerful than ready to wear and that changed the structure of the luxury business.

We live in sneakers but in design it is a radically different discipline. It is like designing a car or a piece of furniture with a play of volumes and intense focus on the details.

I always try to find a line that everyone can ‘see,’ it is not always a straight line! It can be graphic or curved. But I do like a clear image and to give definition to the theme of the story I’m trying to tell. Something you notice instantly. Even if the theme is psychedelic, I try to make that visually understandable and catchy. At the same time, I want to offer something elegant and consistent.

I hope there is not one stereotype. Today no one wants clichés like ‘cute millennial’ or ‘dandy.’ We are not in disguise! You are dressing yourself everyday – fashion is an enhancement, like makeup. Eclecticism is the mood of now. Each of us has a different style and it does not matter if you are in jeans and sequins or tuxedo trousers and a leather jacket. Perhaps it is not the type of shoe that makes the style, it is the context. As a designer, I try to understand, provoke and also answer these movements.

I started with colour harmonies – usually colour comes after deciding on the volume and shape. The styles come from manipulating the colours like a rainbow into a buckled multi strap mule or tones in a suede sock and patent Mary Jane. There’s never enough space for all the ideas. But the fashion dynamic is a permanent adjustment and a process of editing – that’s the hardest part.