NICOLAS KIRKWOOD: WOMANS 2013 SPRING SHOE COLLECTION

NICOLAS KIRKWOOD

If Carrie Bradshaw was in her 30s and living in New York today, it’s safe to say she’d trade in her classic Manolo Blahniks for the quirky, architectural creations of new shoe man of the moment — Nicholas Kirkwood. Click Continue to read more

Nicholas Kirkwood suede swirl metallic sandals, $1,210 at Nicholas Kirkwood, 807 Washington St

After all, the woman who played her on “Sex and the City,” Sarah Jessica Parker, has become a bona fide devotee of the British designer. She wore teal lace-up platforms by Kirkwood to the “Sex and the City 2” premiere after-party and more recently donned a pair of his gold stilettos to Diane Von Furstenberg’s fashion show in September. His statement-making stunners are now worn by Hollywood heavyweights like Jennifer Lawrence and Gwyneth Paltrow and style darling Solange Knowles.


SWIRL MOTIF PANTENT LEATHER

“You’ve got your Manolos, you’ve got your Louboutins and you’ve got your Kirkwoods,” says Sam Broekema, Harper’s Bazaar executive accessories editor. “Stylists are asking for [Kirkwoods] by name for photo shoots in the same breath as these other designers, and that’s a great barometer [of success]. Nicholas has very quickly built a strong visual identity for his collection.”

SUEDE SWIRL PLATFORM PUMPS

Unlike the beautifully timeless Manolo stiletto, Kirkwood’s shoes tend to the fantastic — from a swirling, laser-cut leather booty resembling a bridge by Santiago Calatrava to a heel that recalls the swooping curvature of a peacock.
The accompanying price tags — ranging from $635 for a pump to $2,185 for a knee-high boot — are similarly out-there.

PRINTED CALF AND SUEDE CUTOUT KNEE HIGH

“They’re works of art,” says Sasha Charnin Morrison, fashion director for Us Weekly. “He has a huge following [of] A-list celebrities. His shoes are entrance makers and exit makers.”
In November, Kirkwood won the Accessories Designer Award at the British Fashion Awards, took home the BFC/Vogue Fashion Fund Award a month later (a first for an accessories designer) and nabbed the Elle Fashion Award for accessory designer of the year.

MIXED MEDIA SWIRL WEDGE

Despite the adoration of magazine editorials, fashion tastemakers and celebrities, Kirkwood is actually stumped when asked about the biggest compliment anyone has ever paid him.

MESH TOE OPEN SLING BACK

“I was in two hip-hop songs,” he says with a laugh. “It was awhile ago. It was a Rick Ross and a Foxy Brown song. Kirkwood apparently rhymes with ’hood!’ ”