Hi guys it's me again!
Today I want talk about another amazing shoe designer.
His name is Luke Grant Muller , a british 34 years old guy from Bradford
that made the brogue shoes his masterpiece.
Creative director and shoe designer Luke Grant-Muller is
an interesting and diverse character. He could easily be described as an
allrounder in many artistic subjects, a man who sometimes works solely on his
own or in collaboration with many mediums covering mainly illustration,
painting, fashion, music and video.His work tends to be dark and surreal,
bordering on the bizarre and often provide little conceptual explanation. The
reason for this, as he explains, is that “it offers a moment of ambiguity for
people to read things into the work as they see fit whilst at the same time
respecting the viewer’s appreciation of aesthetics and utility.” Since
illustration, painting, fashion, music and video have been his main focus over
the years, Luke has reluctantly fallen into shoe design, simply because “I
couldn’t find the styles I wanted…., or if I did, I would be trying to hobble
around in women’s sized shoes.” Surely such a statement would bring a natural
smile to your face as you try and imagine him teetering around the room in
women’s shoes.However, after designing his first pair of shoes about a year
ago, he is now starting to enjoy it. Since his childhood, Luke says he has been
taught to be inquisitive and to mix things to create something new. With no formal
background in shoemaking, his professional background being music, Luke has
through trial and error pursued something that he is extremely proud of.A
talented artist who generally enjoys creating things in any medium means that
fashion has been an extension of his art and as such is no exception to this
unique shoe designer. He explains that each medium has different qualities and
different rewards, despite there being a great deal of overlap, and proudly
adds, “Actually, thinking about it, I do find it fun to approach something in
an unusual way. Maybe a sculptor would sculpt, a designer would design, an
artist would umm… and a composer would compose.” When it comes to fashion, Luke
thinks differently and explains that most of what he creates is “really just
superficial, there’s nothing deep in it.” Apart from wracking his brain to the
point of “…being completely stifled by trying to justify my work with some sort
of deep meaning” once his designs are aesthetically pleasing to him, then Luke
is happy and if it makes others happy and they see something deeper, then he is
also happy. But he stresses the question, “Why should anything that’s created
have to have any meaning to be justified?”Luke’s ideal of what matters most to
him as a shoe designer isn’t what you may expect but you can’t help but admire
his quirkiness and the thought process behind his art. “I create for me,” he
explains,“If others like it, that’s good but my ego is far too delicate to
depend on that. Actually that’s a lie; I crave other people’s approval.”Hailing
from Bradford but now living in London, he describes his home town as primarily
utilitarian and London as pretty diverse. “There’s a whole crowd of whatever
your niche is. I found myself quite alienated in Bradford but London is big
enough for you to feel like you’re not completely alone in your tastes, your
thoughts and your quirks.” Having a preference for east London but specifically
the east London of a few years ago, Luke prefers theNathanBarley-types of the
day rather than the more gentrified crowd that has taken over. Despite the
“snobbery and dumbfounded dissing from those more down to earth” which he says
these days are more of a fake bought creativity, he also feels comfortable
wearing what he describes as a “fashion bukakke of the most ridiculous of
things” and is most comfortable being in Tokyo where “at least I don’t have a
clue if someone’s dissing my getup.”As a shoe designer, Luke says he would have
loved to have throngs of hot women at his door. “I get a little recognition but
unfortunately shoes go on the feet, not the head and so don’t feature much on
people’s out-and-about photos” but he feels proud when people he respect
expresses their appreciation. Accounting for all his mediums, Luke describes
his design signature as “slightly dark, slightly surreal, ambiguous,
androgynous, sometimes grimey and sometimes polished,” whilst leaning toward
the past.A shoe takes him three or four days to make and according to Luke is
quite a task, taking “far more of everything than anyone that doesn’t make
shoes can appreciate.” His favourite colours to work with are black, the
royals, and chromes and antiqued, and he mixes it up by experimenting with new
materials, using them in new ways or new combinations.“I love to use all sorts
of materials but at the same time I enjoy the challenge of restricting myself
as it forces me to explore new options that I wouldn’t have thought of
otherwise.”Luke Grant-Muller’s shoe collection include Full Brogue Oxfords
Standard in gold, mirror silver and holographic, mirror gold, mirror silver and
holographic python skin, and three-inch Oxfords in gold, silver and black with
crepe creeper sole for those gentlemen wanting a little bit more height.
I'll show you now some pictures of his amazing work.
As usual I hope that you find the post interesting...see you soon!
xx
M.
