Diary of a Designer

Diary of a…Designer

Footwear designer and University of London graduate Hetty Rose has been running her own label since 2007, and is about to launch her first Ready-To-Wear collection at London Fashion Week. She gives Amy Bowles an exclusive peek into her everyday life as a designer.

I was always fascinated with the construction of products and how things are made, so I always knew I wanted to design. I can be inspired by many things, sometimes quite ordinary, but sometimes not. For instance there is a shadow on my bedroom ceiling; it looks like a shoe, so I created a wedge peep-toe from the shapes in the shadow. I can be inspired by landscapes, architecture, people, colour and shape, it comes from anywhere. I often have the best ideas just as I am waking up, so I know I can plant a seed in my mind about a design I want to create, and I know it will come to fruition at some point. Sometimes it can be hard to design on-the-spot but I often have to during consultations with clients – I have to gauge their style and taste and come up with a design they will like.

I like to work three-dimensionally when designing shoes, so I sketch directly onto the last [the form which the shoes are moulded around]. I find it more realistic to work on the form which creates the shoe, rather than on paper. That said, I do sketch ideas out when travelling around on trains and buses. I wish I had more time to design though, running a business 7 days a week can be a challenge, but a good one!

I rarely have time to shop, so when I see something I love, I trust my instinct and know it will work with the rest of my wardrobe. I often buy vintage, I have always been a bit of a magpie and have lots of trinkets and pieces which have memories for me. I wear my own shoes for events and exhibitions, I’m lucky to make a lot of the samples sizes in my own. The Valentine shoes from the new Keep & Love Collection are very special to me. The petals wrap around your foot and antique lace on the heels make them totally unique. They make every foot look elegant as they can fit your foot exactly.

My to-do list is so long! The Fashion Week show is right at the top, but I also have exhibitions at the end of the year which involve lots of new one-off design shoes. The show will launch the new Ready-to-Wear collection which consists of five of our best selling, most popular vintage kimono fabric styles of the last three years. They are produced in a family run factory in East London. I’m so excited to be launching it, its been a long time coming. Showing at Fashion Week is great as there are so many press and buyers in town. There is a buzz around London and I love being a part of all the craziness!

My Footwear Design and Development degree at London College of Fashion was an integral part of how I carved my path to being a designer and setting up my business. It was essential because it opened my mind to how fast the industry works and the pressure to learn and pick up skills on the job was important to the final and following years. Financial constraints can be difficult when studying in an expensive city, I think you have to be organised and know what you need for each project and how to go about getting it. If you think creatively you can produce anything, you just have to think of a way to make it happen. Be confident, creative, develop your own style and know that it can change and evolve, and most of all enjoy it.



Based on an interview