In probably hundreds of photographs of Kate Middleton through the years, you’ve seen a sedate, tasteful pair of pumps at the end of those royal pins. Many of those have been Kurt Geiger, the decades-old British brand favored by celebrities from Beyoncé to Emily Blunt.
This month, Kurt Geiger launches online sales in the US, but the offerings go far beyond regal reserve in terms of sexiness and fashion flair.
“I love that Americans seem to instinctively dress with a little more polish than us Brits, and I have been particularly excited by the way American style is much more adventurous with bold color — perhaps due to our climate,” says British Rebecca Farrar-Hockley, the line’s creative director, who left high-end department store Selfridges for Kurt Geiger in 2002. “But whether in Manhattan or London, I think we all share a desire for silhouette, attitude and comfort.”
Kurt Geiger, the company’s founder who died in 1972, opened his first shoe store in 1963. In the London shop, he sold Charles Jourdan, Salvatore Ferragamo and the like before launching his own line, which now has several spinoff and accessory labels, including Miss KG and Carvela.
The brand and its attendant lines are still sold at department stores Harrods, Selfridges and Liberty, and the reach of the line has expanded to Singapore, Australia and now the US.
Farrar-Hockley expects the Bond — a racy cut- away heel with scalloped sides — and the Britton — a pump on a metallic stiletto — to be popular with Americans. Both are part of the “B-series,” a sexy range of shoes that “can cope with less-than-shoe- friendly pavement,” says Farrar-Hockley.
New York women already take style cues from the A-lister Kurt Geiger fans Farrar-Hockley rattles off: “Jennifer Lawrence, Kate Bosworth, Shailene Woodley and Gwen Stefani … Kurt Geiger women know how to assert their style, both off-duty and on the red carpet, with shoes that add that extra style edge.”