A number of career changes would soon ensue: dancer, illustrator for Vogue or Vanity Fair… “I was lucky enough to design quickly and well and I could have “cracked” whatever, a clothing item, a shoe, a bag…” Finally he settled as an assistant at Dior, where he first discovered the beauty of the shoe. He would next move onto Hermès’ shoes, then to their jewelry, Balenciaga, and let’s not forget his own eponymous brand. This man never takes a break, and even seems to get a kick out of it! “For me, it’s like a breath of air. If I was alone creating all the time, I wouldn’t have these crossroads that Nicolas (Ghesquière) obliges me to take, with my course being, for example, small flowers and Formica. He, like Hermès, helps me to get out of my obsessional self.”
As a shoe architect on an incessant quest for beauty, he’s rightfully established himself as one of the masters of shoes. His emblematic high heel gives women the illusion of having the arch of their foot hover above the ground, firmly embedded on a knife-like heel. Sculptural measurements, vividly cut lines, pure, remarkable geometry, graphic style, the Hardy shoe is instantly recognizable. It’s pure footwear genius.
Leave a Reply