Paul Andrew looked to the Far East for his women’s resort ’16 collection. The designer — who was nominated for the CFDA Accessories Designer of the Year award this year — was inspired by a recent business trip to Hong Kong, infusing elements from the city’s architecture and cherry blossoms into his footwear.
Cherry blossoms were one of the more obvious of the collection’s references, used as embellishments on both flat and heeled sandals. Some styles saw the embellishment rendered in a blue patent, a prominent color throughout the collection.
Laser-cut leathers were inspired by the screens Andrew saw on a summer palace outside Beijing. He recreated the cutouts in black, brown and metallic leathers, from kitten-heel styles to below-the-knee boots.
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Andrew was also smitten with Wong Kar-Wai’s 2000 film, “In the Mood for Love.” The designer snapped photos on his phone of various floral prints worn by the movie’s lead actress, Maggie Cheung, then brought them to his factory to recreate. The prints ended up on the flatform soles of sandals and as complete coverings on his signature Zenadia pump.
For slingbacks, Andrew combined black-and-white floral motifs with gingham, which made for an unexpected, modern combination. But his squared-toe silhouettes were perhaps a tad too forward-looking for such a sweet print.
For more shoes from Paul Andrew’s resort collection, click through the gallery.
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