The shoe boom: Jonathan Kelsey

Jonathan Kelsey’s shoes have only been in the shops for 10 months, yet already he has made his name as the man to go to for a look that is, as he puts it, “really strong, really sexy, in a feminine but not girlie way. Really kick-ass”. With fans including Amy Winehouse and Alexa Chung, his metallic cone heels quickly became a high-voltage staple for trotting the carpet at starry events. And with next month’s launch of his collection for Mulberry, there is a new excuse to get in on the Kelsey game.

As a brand that pretty much cornered the market in infinitely workable bags, the British label was clearly in need of some footwear. Having spied his creations on the feet of girls in the Mulberry office, CEO Lisa Montague approached Kelsey last October to see if he could give them what they were missing.
Kelsey studied womenswear at Central St Martins; he then worked on costume design at Angels and Bermans, before moving on to Jimmy Choo, where he spent four years designing shoes . He left to freelance for other brands such as Gina, Giles and Joseph. Then, two years ago, he began to focus on his own label. His aesthetic is clean and punky, raunchy but wearable. “I’m not a big fan of an overexposed foot, nor am I a thin, strappy shoe person. I had my fill of that at Jimmy Choo.”

For Mulberry, he has stayed true to his aesthetic. “For winter, we’ve done five styles,” he says. “We’ve got a basic pump on quite a masculine, wooden, stacked platform, and a cropped bootie, which is my absolute favourite — everyone needs a pair of those.

And then we did a pair of really great men’s flat oxford shoes, which are a bit naughty schoolgirl, and a cropped and a long traditional-looking riding boot. Both will be perfect for the December snow.”
A true craftsman, Kelsey is adamant that the shoes should have a hand- hewn feel to them. As he says about Mulberry’s bags, “You want to get the sense that an actual person has been involved in making them.”
Craftsmanship aside, his shoes are all about giving women a lift. “The most important thing is that they give the girl who’s wearing them a sense of confidence and fun. That she puts the shoes on and has somehow lost 10lb and become 4in taller. I think that’s the best boost a shoe can give anyone.”

And it’s a boost he obviously delivers. “One of the things most girls say about wearing my shoes is that they get stopped by men all the time saying, ‘My God, I love your shoes.’ And of course, that sparks up a conversation, and they love that. So, forget match.com — wear my shoes.”
As if we needed an excuse.