In addition to his role with E! network’s QVC.
Here, the tastemaker talks to FN about his love of designer footwear with a touch of bling.
PAIRS OWNED: 150
BRAND MIX: “Christian Louboutin is one of my absolute favorites. I have about 30 or 40 pairs of his shoes. I wear a lot of Givenchy sneakers. I also love good old Nike or New Balance shoes and have a lot of them. I recently purchased a pair of bright red Balenciaga sneakers.”
CLOSET ORGANIZATION: “In my [main] closet, there are four rows of shoes. I have a separate shoe closet where they’re packed away until I’m ready to bring them back into the fold.”
MOST COVETED PAIR: “Givenchy pointy-toe laceups with studs around the sole and a metal strip down the heel. I got them about a year ago in the [designer’s] Paris store, for about 500 euros. I thought I’d wear them a few times, but now they’re like my running shoes.”
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PRICIEST PAIR: “Christian Louboutin black suede and leather laceups. They’re a mix of textures and trims [and feature] chain around the sole and a patent leather toe cap. They were a couple of thousand dollars.”
DREAM SHOE: “I’m a sucker for sparkle on a shoe such as Swarovski crystals. I’m [likely] getting married next year and [plan] to make custom shoes for the two of us. They’ll probably have sparkle for me, but not for my fiancé, Gary. I [might] do
two pairs — something with a fun twist for the ceremony and then legitimate dancing shoes.”
BUYING CRITERIA: “I don’t care about comfort — I can suffer. I’d rather have a fabulous conversation piece that makes my outfit. When you wear a good pair of shoes in New York, people stop you on the street — people in fashion or even construction workers. People respond to things that are different. That’s the power of wearing a great pair of shoes.”
BEST SHOE HAUNT: “I’m an avid Mr. Porter shopper. I don’t have a lot of time to go to stores, so I go online, search for what I‘m looking for, and it gets delivered. Also, my friends at Christian Louboutin are extremely generous and keep me in good step.”
FAVORITE FASHION DECADE: “The 1940s and ’50s. I like the look of men dressing up for the sake of it. A man can look great in a T-shirt and jeans, but a guy in a well-tailored suit with a great pair of shoes, nice grooming and good sunglasses — you can never go wrong. It’s that old Cary Grant look. Today, I look to Ryan Gosling, Jared Leto. Those guys aren’t afraid to push the boundaries and do something different.”
SHOE STYLE I’D NEVER WEAR: “I don’t love sandals. However, I have a great pair of Christopher Kane’s for my upcoming vacation. I’m sure they’ll make their way to the beach in the south of France, but in the city, I don’t like flip-flops where my feet are exposed — not my jam.”
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