SHOE LOVING WITH FINSK
Written by Hanna-May White // April 01, 2011 // Fashion
I have a confession to make. I have a shoe addiction. Okay this is nothing new but I can’t honestly walk past certain shops without breaking out in ‘Visa Induced Withdrawal Syndrome’ (or VIWS for short). The pair of statement shoes in the window in front of me are screaming out “Buy me, buy me” & I cannot/will not ignore it. There is no cure for VIWS, but I have grown to live with it. With this in mind, you can imagine my excitement when I first came across the super amazing shoe designer Julia Lundsten, who launched herself and her gorgeous shoe collection with her label FINSK in 2004. London based Finnish born Lundsten, who has been dubbed the Eames of footwear, and has established herself as a designer with a strong vision and unique, directional style.
Lundsten graduated from London’s Royal College of Art in 2003 and won the prestigious Manolo Blahnik Award two years running. ‘Exquisite, divine and perfect’ are just some of the words Blahnik has used to describe Lundsten’s shoes. Lundsten was also awarded the prestigious Young Designer of the Year Award in Finland.
With an architect father and interior designer mother, Lundsten has cultivated an eye for design, clearly reflected in her work. Some of Lundsten’s biggest inspirations derived from architecture, including buildings and furniture details as well as structures found in nature. Likening a shoe to a chair, Lundsten compares the heel and sole to the chair legs, with the upper, the seat.
The SS11 FINSK collection ‘Adagio’ is inspired by ballet training and enfolding movement, capturing a beautiful slow movement in shape or fold to the leather. Tones are muted, like those seen in a ballet training studio. Ankle cuffs and wrapped details on the uppers are super soft and unlined to create a natural and organic feel. Brighter shades of yellow and lilac are inserted in small details, capturing the dancer’s movement and preparation for a performance. The wooden heels have a modern feel, contrasting with small rustic surfaces of untreated raw wood. FINSK’s trademark graphic wood wedge is softened by a gathered, ruched soft leather upper and simple raw edge straps to wrap the foot comfortably. A pump with a triangular block heel creates a lighter feel on a more substantial shape. Muted mint green contrasts with bright yellow, and soft fleshy pinks combine with warm grey and black. Off white and flesh compliment lilac highlights. Super soft grainy leathers that feel like a second skin are used together with cleaner, more polished leather to create a contrast of matt and shiny, soft and structured.
Lundsten is breathing new life into the shoe industry, playing around with structure, fabrics and colour. If you would like to find out more about the designer or any items from the collection visit http://www.finsk.com/
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