Undoubtedly one of the most exciting presentations that took place during London Collections: Men in June 2013 was the one that served to unveil British designer Nicholas Kirkwood’s Spring/Summer 2014 men’s footwear collection. Designed by Mehrnoosh Khadivi from Craftwork Studio, the all-black space of large monoliths and individual plinths with slowly rotating stands for the shoes mirrored the aesthetic of the Nicholas Kirkwood stores and their focus on clean lines with negative space between the products on display.
Following the successful launch of his inaugural men’s range in January 2013, Kirkwood produced a second range that explored the idea of functionality and proportion within classic men’s footwear. Taking the form of the sole used in sports shoes in the 1970s, the collection featured thick lightweight rubber soles in brogues, boots and loafers. Attention to intricate detailing could be observed in design elements such as colour-blocking and in the use of custom-made contrasting leathers and fabrics, including raffia paired with leather and a high-tech sports mesh teamed with metallics in copper, teal and wine, while softer structures were present in a textured calf in tan, black and platinum.
Nicholas Kirkwood studied at London’s Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design and at Cordwainers College. Since he founded his eponymous women’s footwear label in the Spring of 2005, he has won critical acclaim worldwide (including being awarded the Vogue Fashion Fund in conjunction with the British Fashion Council in March 2013) for his luxury shoes handmade in Italy from the highest-grade materials available and utilising innovative techniques. His Spring/Summer 2014 men’s shoes will be available from the Nicholas Kirkwood boutiques in London, New York and Las Vegas and from select retailers worldwide from January 2014.