Nicholas Kirkwood in Paris: His Moroccan Reveries, Revealed

by The Daily Front Row

(PARIS) It’s been quite a busy year for shoe designer Nicholas Kirkwood, most recently thanks to LVMH snapping up a majority stake of the designer’s label last month. So when The Daily caught up with him in a gallery space on Paris’ Rue de Vauvilliers we weren’t surprised to hear that the Brit’s new collection was based on a far-off locale like Morocco. Dreaming of vacation much? What ensued was an inspiring mix of neon raffia flats, wedges, and heels. Plus, a little bit of Seventies inspiration, zig zag lightning bolt designs, and lacy stilettos. 
BY PAIGE REDDINGER 

What was the inspiration this season?
There were really two themes. One was this very Moroccan feeling so you’ll see raffia, and laser cutting and other Moroccan motifs. Then, I mixed that with a sort of Seventies sports vibe and acidic colors, to see the tension of the two and how they interact.

Did a jaunt to Morocco inspire the direction?
Unfortunately, fashion doesn’t allow us to have any holidays anymore. So I was vacationing in Morocco on Google!

You’ve got a lot of flats and chunkier heels in the latest crop of designs. Pourquoi?
I wanted to go beyond the skinny heel and do more day to night looks. I wanted to explore what that same girl might be wearing during the day. But I also did some high evening looks and you’ll still see some of the classic looks running through the collection.

Who is the Nicholas Kirkwood girl?
I think she’s someone that likes to explore and try new things. She isn’t necessarily the type of girl that picks up a magazine and wears whatever she is told to wear. I think she’s passionate about the way she lives and looks and is very opinionated. She probably likes perusing galleries and eating at great restaurants and just having a good time.

Do you have any die hard customers that buy your shoes in bulk?
We do get a few of those customers in sometimes, and I know the guys in the shops get very happy when they come in.  They’ll ring me up and say, “So and so came in and bought 15 pairs of shoes,” and I’ll be like, “Great! Let’s get her in more then!”

Do well-heeled women in cities like New York, London, Paris, and Milan differ much in their shoe tastes?
The New York girl is more likely to be wearing heels during the day. The Paris girl has that kind of irreverence about her and probably wants something that’s beautifully cut but quite simple. The London girl likes to mix it up and has an eclectic feel. The Milan girl is someone that likes her luxuries, is looking for fine materials, and is quite exotic.

What do you love about being in Paris?
The thing I love about Paris is that there’s always something new to discover every time I come here. Even having our showroom here for the first time we found this amazing restaurant that we went to across the road called La Poule au Pot that stays open till 5 a.m. That was a great discovery, considering we were here working till 3 a.m.

Sounds hectic! Where would you like to escape for a little R&R?
Well, it would be nice to go to Morocco! Let’s work it backwards, you know?

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