Still a newbie to Pollini–although he’s certainly no stranger to the world of shoe design–Nicholas Kirkwood unveiled his first fall collection for the Italian brand this week and it’s simply gorgeous. Kirkwood’s own aesthetic was evident, but in soft whispers and undertones, as he married it with Pollini’s heritage and where he sees the brand headed in the future. It’s all about a country girl coming into the city.
Kirkwood created two styles of flat boots–a Pollini mainstay–but modernized them by injecting bondage elements that could also be interpreted as equestrian. For the shoes, however, he did what he does best: combine textures. Felt, horse leather, suede, basket-woven leather, embossed croc, snakeskin, calf leather and a printed natural color cable knit suede trompe l’oeil effect were among the textures he played with–most of which he paired with a thick and “heavy” heel, with internal platform, he referenced from the leaning medieval Garisenda Tower in Bologna. Colors, for the most part, stayed elegant and muted, but the punches of lime green, electric blue and fuchsia did beautifully meld his country origins with his love for punk culture. As for the menswear references, Kirkwood added on classic, but now oversized, elements such as tassels and contrasting-stitching.
