London Design Festival: Shoe designer Tracey Neuls and product designer Tord Boontje have teamed up to design a range of shoes featuring autumn leaves.
Made of laser-cut and etched leather, the designs include a court shoe that looks as though fallen leaves have blown around the edge, a lace-up with red oak leaves hanging down below the laces and a brown etched pair with delicate patterns of leaves and acorns.
The limited collection will be available at Selfridges department store from August 27 - September 16, taking in the London Design Festival period.
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Here's some more information from Tracey Neuls:
Tracey Neuls and Tord Boontje footwear collaboration for London's biggest design week of the year - exclusively for Selfridges.
The meeting between Tracey Neuls and Tord Boontje was one of those moments when the world felt very small despite one being Canadian and the other one Dutch. They found their approach to design to be uniquely similar despite Tracey being a footwear designer and Tord being a product designer.
Previously in 2010, their like-mindedness resulted in a special edition shoe where Tracey used a printed fabric of Tord's - normally seen on furniture. This playful approach to design has brought them back together in 2012 celebrating... Squirrels! As it turns out, both Tracey and Tord have a great liking for these inquisitive, clever, little town and country creatures. Known for inventive laser cutting, Tord uses this iconic critter and its autumnal surroundings to play with print and leather cut-aways. Chosen from the spectrum of Neuls' designs; both a sculptural heeled pump and her classic rubber soled derby have been manipulated by Boontje. Neon red, turquoise blue, black and natural will be the available colours.
When Tracey moulds her footwear shapes, she begins with plasticine; the smell and feel reminding her of being a child.
“Emotion plays a big part in design. The shoe should at first be beautiful, but it is more the long lasting feeling that I am interested in. Like a pet, the attachment to your footwear should grow stronger with time. ” - Tracey Neuls
Tord’s work draws from a belief that modernism does not mean minimalism, that contemporary does not forsake tradition, and that technology does not abandon people and senses. He often takes inspiration from nature and employs a décor of forms to entice the observer’s imagination.
“I like my pieces to tell stories, or at least provide a beginning and you can make up your own narrative” - Tord Boontje
Together these two designers have created footwear where time is suspended and there are no rules of play. The shoes are like unique collectors items and this limited edition collection is available exclusively at Selfridges from August 27 – September 16, 2012.