THE MAKING OF THE SHOE COLLECTION.

We introduced our Shoe Collection this past year and with it our signature solid wood heel. After a visit to the West Coast and a tour of Kevork's factory, we sat down with the man responsible for these gorgeous, hand crafted heels. 

Kevork, how long have you been making and designing shoes?

I've been making and designing shoes for about 20 years. Before then I was making lasts and components for shoes. This helped me with the development of different constructions.

We love the heels that you produce for us. Can you tell us a little about the process in making/carving the heel? What type of wood is used, etc.?

The process of making wood heels is all manual. This involves cutting the wood on a pattern, adding the rubber toplift, shaping it on a belt sander and fine sanding it. For the heels we use mostly Alder, which is a North American hardwood.

What piece of advice would you give a new designer when it comes to designing and selling shoes?

The three pieces of advice I would give an aspiring shoe designer is first, have a realistic business plan with enough working capital to back it. Second, do adequate market research to decide what trend you will follow. Lastly, after finding a source you are comfortable with to make your shoes, become familiar with their process and design the kind of shoes that are not difficult for them to produce. Or, find a factory that is familiar with the kind of construction your shoe needs.

You are so knowledgeable and creative. What do you love most about your work?

It is a rewarding experience when you design a new shoe and it becomes a hit.