Shoe-stopping sculptures from FINSK
It’s clear to see that Julia Lundsten comes from a family of creative backgrounds, with her exquisite and out-of-the-ordinary shoe designs.
“I am captivated by her work. It is like nothing anybody is doing at the moment”— Manolo Blahnik.
Towering and imposing platforms accompanied by flashes of colour create the most exciting and extraordinary looks for your feet — and who better to agree with that than Lady Gaga herself?
London-based Finnish-born Lundsten launched FINSK; her architectural, furniture-inspired collection of shoes in 2004. She has since been dubbed “the Eames of footwear”, establishing herself as a designer with a strong vision and a unique, directional style, creating avant-garde yet totally wearable shoes.
Her cultivating eye for design is clearly reflected in her work, as her distinct sculptured wooden heel and contrasting leathers identifies FINSK shoes, proudly displaying her creative roots: “My designs are a contrast between the very clean Finnish landscape, with its natural colours, tones and the busy, urban London life”.
Lundsten explains that the production process itself is as ethical as possible, with each pair of shoes being handcrafted in an atelier in Brazil, whilst all leathers used are by-products of other industries. The natural beauty of locally sourced materials is a significant component to each collection.
Her individual style in design has not gone unnoticed, as a winner of the prestigious Manolo Blahnik Award for two years running, the shoe guru himself describes Lundsten’s shoes as “exquisite, divine and perfect”, (which we’re finding incredibly hard to disagree with), along with her growing celebrity fan base that includes Rihanna and the queen of exquisiteness, Lady Gaga.
The latest collection from FINSK entitled Archi, displays sharp architectural shapes combined with soft tenable natural materials. The result of this is a range of polar opposites, with thick raw-edge straps placed next to delicately pleated seams and block graphic heels with organic natural leathers.
“There are two sources of inspiration for Archi – the Finnish Archipelago where I spend my summers conjuring an ambience of a calm, muted landscape, juxtaposing with the concepts of 1960s group of architects Archigram”, says Lundsten.
FINSK shoes are sold across the globe in selected boutiques, but word has it that a capsule collection has recently been released at Urban Outfitters, and this summer sees the launch of a more affordable diffusion line called Skin – giving you no better excuse to kick up those heels!
Helena Strutt
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