Maximalists, allow us to introduce you to Kat Maconie: a small brand with big, bold designs. Created by the eponymous British footwear designer in 2009, her styles give a new meaning to the term “statement shoe.” The Daily caught up with the new mom to chat about Champagne, her love of color, and get the lowdown on the museum-ready offerings in her new pre-Fall and Fall collections.
Hi Kat! How has this year been for you?
I had my beautiful baby daughter Ruby in February and I loved lock down, as I had my husband at home to help! It was a special few months getting to know our little girl. Now we are back to business and having lots of fun projects planned, we are currently collaborating with Veuve Cliquot and have transformed our flagship store into a socially distanced Champagne bar.
Have you been mainly working and designing from home?
Thank goodness for Zoom! Myself and my team have worked from home and have had countless Zoom meetings. We are now returning to the studio; it’s so much easier to work on the collection with large pin boards covered with inspiration and for range building and collection edits.
With so much time spent at home, has your personal style changed this year?
I spent most of lock down in silk Olivia Von Halle Pajamas or cashmere tracksuits, but now I am back to my usual wardrobe of printed jumpsuits and animal print shirts with leggings and, of course, a pair of Kat Maconie heels or sneakers.
We’re usually in slippers these days while WFH. Do you always put on a proper pair of shoes?
When I am running around looking after Ruby, I wear a pair of KM sneakers. They are super comfortable, however when I have meetings or am heading to the design studio, I like to wear heels. We design them to make women feel confident and empowered and they make me feel this way too.
Do you usually design with a muse in mind?
No, we do not have a specific muse as we like to design with no age demographic in mind. We know who the Kat Maconie customer is though; she dresses from the shoes up! She is confident and likes to stand out, she loves unique design, attention to detail and color and is a maximalist at heart.
Talk us through the Fall collection, what were your influences?
The collection is titled Future Treasures. We looked at futurist detailing and applied them to timeless, classic silhouettes and combined the designs with lavish detailing and Baroque-inspired peacock motifs. As always, the collections are about MORE MORE MORE!
What’s your favorite pair in the collection and how do you like to style them?
My current favorites are the pink Cillas. I like to wear them with a vintage silk slip dress, a gold chain necklace, and hoop earrings, however they look equally good with a pair of rolled up boyfriend jeans and a black silk blouse.
Do you like to nod to trends or do you march to the beat of your own drum?
We are aware of the trends and do nod to them for small details, however we like our designs to feel timeless as we want them to be worn and treasured for many years to come.
Your designs are known for being so colorful and whimsical, would you say this is true for your own personal style too?
Yes! I love animal print, luxurious fabrics and bold color and gold chunky jewelry, which are all very much evident in our collections!
What’s next for you and your brand?
We are launching a sister brand called Le Clique, which we plan to make 100% vegan. We are also introducing a wider fit in our KM line which will go up to a US size 12, as we do not want to restrict anyone from wearing our creations!
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