Arising from my previous architectural background, an interest in both materiality and the act of making has been at the core of my design approach. This collection sought to explore this relationship by abstracting natural materials from their everyday context, and to imbue them with a transformative quality through the elevation of their status in the form of evocative Footwear Artefacts.
The Collection seeks to push the boundaries of Footwear by introducing a new typology, of Immoveable Footwear, through the use of concrete. In the use of this heavy, unrefined, naturally weathering material, the Collection entraps and restricts the wearer’s movements, slowing down the pace of daily life, and thus our experience of Time. This physical act of slow movement seeks to influence the psyche into decelerating the processing of imagery that is generated by today’s mass consumer society. In this way, the act of wearing becomes a multi-sensory experience, where tactile qualities are accentuated, and where the experience of the ‘self’ is enhanced.
The application of concrete to Footwear makes direct reference to the make-up of the urban fabric. Therefore, the objects may be seen as miniature structures, which create spaces for the feet to inhabit. Furthermore, the artefacts connect with, and are specifically crafted, in response to the language of the human body - using my own footprint as subject of the work. On a deeper level, the forms address the innate human ability of imagination, seeking to capture that moment of interaction between imagination, perception and memory.