For the first time ever, shoe designer Brian Atwood is sending his distinctive brand of chic down the runway of life. The groom-to-be walks The Daily through his path to the wedding biz.
BY EDDIE ROCHE
Why wedding shoes?
A wedding is such an important day for any woman and we wanted to make a statement piece to go along with the dress.
Was getting into bridal something you always wanted to do?
My sister just got married earlier this year, which was one reason I was excited to get into it. My brother also just got married a few weeks ago, so I did his wife’s shoes, too. All of a sudden I had a whole bunch of brides asking for shoes!
What did your sister wear?
She wore the Martina Strass, which is a silk platform with a Swarovski Strass crystal heel. My sister-in-law wore a simple silk ankle strap shoe that we customized with a Swarovski broach in the front of it. She wanted a little glitz. They always want a little glitz!
We’re curious about some of the names in your new collection—Cassandra and Obsession, for example. Where did those come from?
Late nights thinking of names!
Kristel?
That’s probably from watching Dynasty. We thought of Obsession as your go-to platform pump. It’s a no-brainer shoe with a great name and a heel height that most women can get away with without a lot of pain.
Why did you make the collection made-to-order?
We wanted to give the customer the option. Some brides want color. They’ll come in with a purple wedding dress or something colorful and they might want their shoes to match. We are very open to discussing different ways to customize and make it perfect for their look. Our team is very knowledgeable on what we can and cannot do. We can usually turn it around in about a month, which is fairly quick. We know brides have fittings and would like to see the shoe or at least a prototype of it.
What kind of gown do you like on a woman?
I love strapless. I love to see the upper clavicle part of a woman. That’s gorgeous.
Aside from killer shoes, what makes a good wedding?
Tequila! I’m kidding, but it’s true.
Your Madison Avenue store turns one this year! What are your plans for expansion?
We’re definitely looking into new areas. London, L.A., Miami are all important. Russia is huge. The key is to finding the right real estate, and you’re not the only one who wants it, which is challenging, but exciting.
By the way, you recently got engaged yourself to the lovely Dr. Jake Deutsch. Mazel tov! What’s the plan?
We need to find the time to dedicate to the planning! There’s no rush, but we want it to be a really special New York wedding.
Do you have a dream venue?
None that I want to reveal yet!
