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10 International Herald TribuneTuesday, July 26, 2005 S T Y L E

By Jessica Michault

PA R I S

Milestone anniversaries have a way of putting ev-erything into perspective. For the shoe designerPatrick Cox, who will be celebrating 20 years as acobbler in September, it means bringing his focus

back to his eponymous line.“I feel I have come full circle,” says Cox, whose rapid-fire

speech and ear-to-ear grin give the impression of someonewho is just starting out, not a veteran of 40 seasons of foot-wea r.

And in a way, he is just beginning.The catalyst for Cox’s ruminations about his future took

place three years ago with a visit to the Manolo Blahnik ret-rospective at London’s Design Museum. It coincided withthe arrival of another landmark date for Cox, his 40th birth-

day. “I was wondering if the best was behind me, had thehigh point of my career already happened,” says Cox. “ThenI saw what Manolo had done, and some of his best workhappened after he turned 40. But I also realized that I do notwant a retrospective of loafers.” He was referring to his ownvery popular diffusion line called Wannabe, which helaunched in the early 1990s.

Not long after that fateful museum visit, Cox signed on tobe the creative director for Charles Jordan. The venerableFrench shoe company has a long history of creative, sexyshoes that took center stage in the famous Guy Bourdin ad-vertising campaigns. But after two years with the companyputting out four collections a year, plus those for his own la-bel, Cox decided to turn his attention to his own business.

“It is all about quality of life and being proud of what I do.I need me to be me,” says Cox.

This means a return to what he loves and what he is known

for: quality shoes with a quirky nostalgic vibe.Cox, who was born in Canada, moved to London when he

was 19 to study footwear design at Cordwainers TechnicalCollege and he never looked back. After starting out his ca-reer in the early ’80s by creating shoes for maverick design-ers like John Galliano and Vivienne Westwood, Cox built upa brand that has become synonymous with all things British,including putting the Union Jack on loafers.

If Blahnik is known for his skyscraper strappy heels andChristian Louboutin is adored for his platform espadrilles,Cox’s shoes can be spotted a mile a way by “the detail.” “I ama magpie,” says Cox. “My eye collects details.”

This means the inclusion of one distinctive feature oneach pair of shoes, with the hope that it will bring a smile tothe face. That could be a chain-mail skirt over the heel of astraightforward black pump, toggles from a duffel coat usedinstead of laces on a classic men’s shoe or a snow globe of theEiffel Tower in the heel of a pair of casual summer jellies.

These details have made the designer’s shoes popular withcelebrities looking to make a statement. Fans like Madonna,Gwen Stefani, Elton John and Cate Blanchett have all gone toCox for shoes that represent their individual styles.

Looking over Cox’s body of work, what becomes apparentis the myriad ways the designer has imbued his collectionswith his personal sense of humor and flair for the ironic —from that first pair of knotted gold leather platforms forWestwood’s 1984 “Clint Eastwood” collection in Paris,through the Pee-Wee Herman-inspired loafers that launchedthe Wannabe line in 1995, to the “Bollywood” wedge Cox de-signed for summer 2005.

For the upcoming fall/winter collection, the first sinceCox left Charles Jordan, the shoes clearly embody his styleand announce the designer’s return to his roots.

The collection includes a pair of classic men’s shoes givena shimmer of gold dust, the “Salta” open-toed heels coveredin thick military braiding and inspired by Cox’s trip to Rus-sia last year, and of course the “Star” shoe, which has incor-porated a mini chandelier into the heel.

Cox, who is the sample size for his men’s line and tests allthe men’s shoes himself before giving the green light, wantsto bring the focus back to a celebration of the craft of shoe-making. This means the launch of his first bespoke collec-tion, with handmade shoes made from real ostrich hide. Heis also streamlining the company, which has about 250 retailoutlets worldwide.

On Wednesday the designer will reopen his London flag-ship store at 129 Sloane Street, which has been transformedto give the feeling of an intimate salon. The reopening willbe feted during the upcoming London Fashion Week with aparty that will coincide with the label’s 20th anniversary.

With the arrival earlier this year of a substantial invest-ment from the entrepreneur Richard Thompson, as well asthe appointment of Peter Sells as the new managing directorand James Cook taking on the role of financial director, Coxseems to be getting his house in order.

So what does the future hold for Patrick Cox, the man andthe company? “Something more human in scale,” says thedesig ner.

International Herald Tribune

John O’Sullivan (top right)

After 40 seasons in the shoe business, Patrick Cox, left, has returned hisfocus to what he is known for: quality shoes with a quirky nostalgic vibe.His creations, above and right, tell the tale. Top right: Ana Matronic, cente r,with Scissor Sisters band members, wearing a pair of Cox’s disco-ball heels.

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