TARO ISHIDA

With the intent of redefining the boundaries and definition of prestige (which, owing to its ubiquity, has somewhat lost its meaning), Ishida is elevating and recharging it with a preciousness and rarity that is almost sacred. Since childhood, Amsterdam-born but Japanese educated Ishida has been fascinated with high heels and the way that a woman’s posture and demeanour changes completely when she

slips them on; they heighten both her strength and fragility. They are, he believes, plinths for the body. This obsession is translated into Ishida’s flawless debut collection, in which even the most miniscule details are fine-tuned to perfection. Fierce, feminine designs are supercharged with an unapologetic glamour and drama: pointed pumps, ankle boots and thigh high boots are set atop towering 105mm heels (which look more like 120mm heels thanks to clever optical illusions in the design). Ishida’s superlative craftsmanship is matched by his use of the finest materials: embroidered, custom-dyed and hand painted python which is polished using natural stones, patent leather, buttery suede and sumptuous velvets come in a custom palette of golds, greens, blues and reds. Sculptural mouldings create a subtly surreal flourish and many designs are finished with hand-cut and faceted semi-precious stones set into the point of the toe, a visual metaphor for the collection’s combination of strength and fragility. The effect is at once modern and eternal – these shoes feel pitch-perfect for now but will also be hero additions to the modern woman’s forever wardrobe. They are a sublime melding of function and fantasy.