Just two years after the launch of Paul Andrew’s eponymous shoe collection, the British transplant has been showered with accolades, including Footwear News’s Launch of the Year and Vanity Fair’s Best Shoe for Lupita Nyong’o’s Golden Globe pumps.
But Andrew is no rookie when it comes to the shoe game.
“I graduated from Berkshire College of Art and Design back in the mid-’90s,” Andrew explains. “Immediately out of school, I was offered my first job, at Alexander McQueen.”
A few years later, Vogue writer Michelle Kessler-Sanders introduced Andrew to some of New York’s top designers. By 1999 he’d landed a job with Narciso Rodriguez.
“I was so very excited by the prospect of coming to New York,” the 35-year-old reminisces.
After 15 years of cultivating his craft in Gotham with designers like Michael Kors, Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren and Donna Karan, Andrew’s signature line immediately catapulted him into the major leagues. His premiere collection of covetable heels landed on the shelves of Barneys, Bergdorf Goodman and Saks Fifth Avenue. Later this year, Andrew plans to launch an accessories line and a men’s “modern, cool shoe collection without all the bells and whistles.”
at nordstrom.comCourtesy of the Designer
He credits mentor Karan with instilling an appreciation for fit and comfort. But his true secret to success lies in his shoes’ frameworks.
“When I was launching my brand, I wanted to have this look of the single-sole, elegant, refined shoe. I have added a tiny sliver of a platform onto my sandal construction, where I have taken out the interior and filled it with industrial padding, so you sink into this cushion,” he says. “I hand-carve every heel so when you are standing, the center point of your body balances all of your weight.”
It’s no wonder fashion icons Cate Blanchett and Helena Christensen are gobsmacked by Andrew’s signature “Zenadia” design, which features an edgy wing-shape detail in the stilettos’ silhouette.
“All my shoes are named after Greek goddesses this season,” Andrew explains. “Zenadia is the goddess that is closest to the almighty god, which I thought was perfect for my prized stiletto. She is tall, sexy and closest to god.”