One of the big names in Britain’s designer footwear scene is Rupert Sanderson, who has been building his fanbase of high-flying clients since he launched his first collection. The designer left a 12-year career in advertising in 1999 to pursue shoe-making and design, enrolling on a course at the famed Cordwainers College in East London. By 2001, Sanderson launched his first collection – and we’ve been hooked ever since. Fans of the designer include the Princess of Wales (we’ve heard she’s particularly fond of the the brand’s court shoes), and actresses Emma Stone and Jessica Chastain.
Rupert started his career as a shoemaker relatively late at the age of 33. After attending the world-renowned Cordwainers College in East London, Rupert embarked on a journey of discovery across Italy. Winning a scholarship to design for a season with Sergio Rossi, he then took up a permanent position with the legendary Bolognese shoe brand Bruno Magli.
In 2001, he returned to London to launch his own eponymous label. Born out of the relationships and craftsmanship he had been exposed to in Italy and a divine sense of beauty and style, his first collection was picked up by Cynthia Marcus, doyenne of the American luxury department store Neman Marcus.
Since those early days, Rupert Sanderson has opened stores in London, Paris and Hong Kong, designed for film and the theatre, dressed women for the Oscars and won the prestigious British Fashion Council Accessory Designer of the Year in 2008.
Springing from the design ethos of 'less is more' and achieving the most with the least, collections are often inspired by the very materials of shoemaking themselves. His aim is to allow to these components to shine in perfect balance. Now owners of a small artisanal factory high in the mountains of northern Italy, they benefit from generations of skilled workers, the mutual exchange of ideas and practices, enabling such fine quality craftsmanship to pair with beautiful minimalist design.
