Brittany Pooley speaks to New Zealand’s most established footwear designer Kathryn Wilson on the eve of the launch her summer 2019 footwear collection in Queenstown.
Wilson is a household name in New Zealand fashion. In just over a decade, she has gone from dreaming of shoes to becoming one of New Zealand's most influential shoe designers and businesswomen.
This August, Wilson is set to debut her Summer 2019 footwear collection at Veuve Clicquot's annual festival in Queenstown.
''It's truly my highlight of the winter season because I love coming down to Queenstown. Who doesn't? It's an easy place to love.''
With small runs in high demand, her company, Kathryn Wilson Footwear, consistently produces designs that are just as beautiful in aesthetic as they are high in quality.
Wilson puts her success down to simply having a love of shoes.
''I grew up in the '80s as a little girl that loved shoes, so I was always wanting to be a shoe designer.
''I've always had one goal, and one track towards what I wanted to do for my career.''
Despite all her success within shoe design, Wilson herself did not anticipate becoming a businesswoman.
''I joke that I'm accidentally in business, because it comes from a passion for a product.
''I love designing and I love creating beautiful shoes for people that make them happy.''
Her shoes are now stocked in more than 100 local boutiques and have an ever-growing online market. She opened her first store in 2011 and now has three boutiques in Auckland.
''When that grows, and you're supplying more and more shoes and you're employing more and more people, all of a sudden you're running a business, which was never really my intention or my goal''.
It did not come without a lot of leaning throughout the brand's 16 years.
''Along with that comes so much growth.''
Wilson works alongside shoe designer Julia Ford, who started in an assistant role eight years ago.
Today, she is the head of design and sales of Kathryn Wilson Footwear, putting together a range with Wilson each season.
''All of our shoes are designed from scratch, pencil on paper. They're truly, selfishly, what we want to be wearing ourselves. The designs are then scanned and digitised to communicate the designs to the manufacturer''.
''Rather than being trend-based, it's more about making sure the shoes are unique, innovative and new to the market.''
They are inspired by their friends and what they want to wear and what they want to wear themselves.
''It's pretty natural, travel, people, music videos, movies with lots of vintage references - we're always picking up on ideas''.
The upcoming spring/summer collection will present a colourful array of heels, slides, sandals, loafers, trainers and even boots.
This got me wondering: what exactly goes into designing the perfect summer shoe?
''I'm a New Zealander; I design for New Zealand women. We're quite practical''.
As well as being aesthetically beautiful, the most important thing for her shoes is how they feel when worn, Wilson says.
''Even though they're bright, fun, colourful shoes for summer, comfort is key.
''Our customers really trust they can wear a really beautiful pair of heels, something that can see them through the night.''
All of her shoes are hand-made.
''It's all around the comfort and the balance and the pitch points of the heels. With the cushioning and leather linings, they just mould to the feet.''
As the label continues to grow, Wilson has many systems in place to ensure the quality of her product.
This involves small hand-made runs, transparent production systems, recyclable packaging and the reconditioning of already purchased shoes.
''Our strength is that we are limited-edition shoes. All of our products are hand-made in small production houses with around 40 staff. The transparency is obvious.''
She describes her manufacturers as craftsmen and their work as an art.
''The technicians and pattern makers blow me away with what they can do.
''More than anything, we make our shoes to last. You should expect them to be worn for 10 years. They're not going to be here today, gone tomorrow''.
The new collection getting its debut in Queenstown will not be short on colour.
''The show is always fun for us to put together.
''There's a lot of bubblegum pink and canary yellow, as well as a clear PVC upper and leopard print''.
While the heights and silhouettes vary, there will be their ''famous sneaker trainer'' designs that will be in the show.
''Everything is with a twist, so there is a surprise and delight element to the show''.
The styling for the show is ''really light-hearted'' and the music for the show will say a lot about the way she sees her shoes being worn - there is a girls night in or a girls night out playlist.
''Even though it's a fashion catwalk event, the audience is local to Queenstown.
''There's a lot of things from hip-hop to girl ballads. It's all really light-hearted and fun.''
Wilson's models are a key part of the show's execution. The Auckland-based models will be flown down to Queenstown especially for the event.
''Because we've worked with them hundreds of times, they're like a Kathryn Wilson army of girls.
''We always say to the girls, we have big writing on the wall and everything, you're here because you've got the hottest legs in the room. Own it and have fun and laugh. It's a playful night.''
To see
The Kathryn Wilson Runway Show, Jack’s Point Restaurant, August 2, 7.30pm, part of Clicquot in the Snow, Queenstown, August 1-4.
