HUGE – MAY 2008

MAY 2008

</p>

EACH YEAR, THE QUALITY OF LEATHER, BE IT SHEEP OR COW, IS DIFFERENT. COULD YOU TELL US WHAT ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT POINTS, ACCORDING TO YOU, CONCERNING LEATHER? 

I HAVE TO HAVE A GUT FEELING. THE LAST THING I WANT TO DO IS ANALYZE IT. OVER TIME I'VE ACCUMULATED ENOUGH EXPERIENCE WITH LEATHER THAT I CAN KIND OF FIGURE HOW IT'S GOING TO TURN OUT. 

THAT BEING SAID, IT'S NOT AN EXACT SCIENCE SINCE YOU'RE DEALING WITH NATURAL ELEMENTS, SO THERE'S ALWAYS THAT ELEMENT OF RISK. AND RISK IS VERY ATTRACTIVE. 

HOW DO YOU DESIGN GARMENTS, SUCH AS JACKETS, IN LEATHER? 

YOU ALWAYS HAVE TO KEEP THE SIZE OF THE SKINS IN MIND AND WHERE THE SEAMS HAVE TO GO ON THE BODY. SOMETIMES THAT LEADS YOU TO A NEW IDEA. 

IN YOUR MEN'S COLLECTION, DO THE SHOES OCCUPY A PROMINENT PLACE? 

I THINK THAT YOU CAN WEAR THE MOST BASIC JEANS AND T-SHIRT BUT THE SHOE ALWAYS DEFINES THE OUTFIT. 

WHEN YOU MAKE SHOES, WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING FOR YOU? DESIGN? FITTING? MATERIAL? 

I ALWAYS THINK THE FIT SHOULD COME FIRST, THEN THE MATERIAL. DESIGN LAST. 

IN YOUR PRIVATE LIFE, WHAT KIND OF SHOES DO YOU LIKE BEST? 

I USED TO HATE SNEAKERS. I THOUGHT THEY WERE THE MOST PROSAIC, CONVENTIONAL, DEPRESSING, MUNDANE SYMBOL OF BOREDOM. I THOUGHT BOOTS WERE MORE FLAMBOYANT, VIRILE AND DIGNIFIED. I DON'T KNOW HOW IT HAPPENED BUT I CHANGED. IN MY PERSONAL LIFE, I WORK, GO TO THE GYM AND BACK TO WORK. I WOULD FEEL RIDICULOUS HAVING TO CHANGE TWICE A DAY. SO I REPROPORTIONED OLD-SCHOOL BASKETBALL SHOES AND WEAR THEM WITH MY UNIFORM OF LONG BLACK BAGGY GYM SHORTS AND BRIGHT WHITE T-SHIRTS--KIND OF MY ABSTRACTED VERSION OF A '30S MILITARY ACADEMY UNIFORM: FUNCTIONAL, DISCIPLINED, SEVERE AND MINIMAL. 

DO YOU HAVE ANY PARTICULAR COMMITMENT WHEN YOU MAKE SHOES? 

I USUALLY LIKE THINGS THAT WOULD BE SUITABLE FOR A GAY LEATHER BAR. 

DO YOU DESIGN YOUR SHOES AS A SEPARATE ITEM FROM YOUR COLLECTION? OR DO YOU ALWAYS MAKE MATCHING SHOES TO EACH COLLECTION? 

SHOES DEFINITELY ARE A SUCH A GREAT WAY TO DEVELOPE EACH COLLECTION'S STORY. 

COULD YOU EXPLAIN HOW THE SHOES IN THIS SEASON'S COLLECTION REFLECT ITS THEME? 

THE SWIRLING FLAPS OF SHEARLING THIS SEASON MOVED THE ACTION FROM THE BODY. THEY WERE ALMOST AN EXTENSION OF THE CAPES THAT DRIPPED FROM THE SHOULDER TO CREAT A LINE THAT TRAILED AWAY. 

HOW IMPORTANT ARE THE SHOES IN YOUR COLLECTION IN GENERAL? 

PARAMOUNT. 

DO YOU FIND ANY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MAKING CLOTHES AND MAKING SHOES? 

I KNOW LESS ABOUT THE CONSTRUCTION OF SHOES SO THE PROCESS IS A LOT MORE ARDUOUS. 

FOR SHOES, I SUPPOSE THAT YOU NEED TO USE DIFFERENT FACTORY AND PROCESS FROM THE OTHER ITEMS IN YOUR COLLECTION. WHEN YOU CHOOSE THE FACTORY FOR YOUR SHOE COLLECTION, WHAT IS THE MOST ESSENTIAL THING FOR YOU?