Poisonous Flowers at Your Feet? Introducing Your New Shoe Crush

“I was constantly sketching shoes and clothing when I was young, and my mother often mentioned that I should become a fashion designer. But it was far later, after having had my daughter Sky, that I realized my mom was right and I was meant to do this all along. After getting a bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts and ten years as a model, I went back to school. When my daughter was a little baby, I would attend evening classes to learn shoe-making, pattern-making, and production.”

“I spent quite a few years modeling and traveling the world – that is what took me to New York. I fell completely in love with the city, its energy, and this feeling that anything is possible there. I was pretty short for a model – 5’7″ – so when I was running around the city, from casting to casting, I learned to compensate by always wearing super high heels. It kind of stuck with me. I always wear really high heels or flats – nothing in-between for the moment! My favorites these days are the ‘Larkspur’ and ‘Enchysia’, and always the ‘Moonseed’ for flats.”

“I’ve always been fascinated with Italian shoes. You can just touch one, and feel the quality of an Italian shoe. I love going to the factory to watch them being crafted, but my absolute favorite step and place to be is the last maker. I’ve always seen shoes as art, and making a last is just that – carving the perfect shape of a shoe out of a piece of wood. It is so technical, but also so sculptural and emotional to me.”

“Not many people know this, but I started riding horses when I was six in my hometown of Normandy, France. I rode during most of my childhood and worked with horses when I was a teenager, but never had my own horse. I always loved the Andalusian breed and dressage. When my dear friend Shania Twain brought her show to Las Vegas, where I live, she had to have horses as part of the show. I completely fell in love with the beautiful, gray Andalusian horse that she had on stage so, for my 30th birthday, my fiancé David surprised me with the exact same horse. I named him Milo, and I ride him five days a week and also compete in dressage!”

“All my shoes are named after poisonous flowers. Since the very beginning of the brand, I’ve always used exotic leathers and created some of my designs by mimicking the shapes and curves of blooming flowers. One of my biggest inspirations is singer-songwriter Tori Amos. I thought of the music video for her song “Datura”, in which she enumerates all the plants in her garden. That’s how I named my signature pump ‘Datura’. I kept playing with the names of poisonous flowers that mean both beauty and danger. Soon after, Tori Amos started to wear my shoes while performing and even let me use the song in my Fall/Winter 2015 short film.”