Meet Stuart Weitzman, The King of Evening

During our busy hours at the GDS Fair in Dusseldorf, Germany last September 2001, we went to the booth of Stuart Weitzman to see and possibly order from his collection. His booth was one of the biggest and busiest. We were happily met by a man with a big smile on his face who warmly greeted us with "Hi! I’m Stuart Weitzman." He was so cordial and he immediately gave us the impression that we were important to his business. Imagine we are only a fraction of the thousands of orders he gets from other reputable stores like Saks Fifth, Neiman Marcus in the US, fashionable stores from Milan to Munich in Europe and from other diverse locations in the West Indies and the Middle East. We introduced ourselves and he quickly acknowledged our company – Rustan’s having been his client for a number of years now. After some small talk, we asked him to pose with us for a picture which I wanted to include in my array of framed photos with other personalities like Prince Rainier of Monaco, Julio Iglesias, Gianfranco Ferre, Leonardo and Fioruccio Ferragamo and Elsa Klensch.

When we went back to his booth last March, he again welcomed us with the same warmth, and when I asked him to pose with me again, he jokingly asked if I was issuing passport photos with him. Actually, I misplaced the ones taken last September and so I didn’t want to miss the chance of having another one. Esther, one of Stuart’s executives who has been with him for the past 15 years, was telling us how hardworking Stuart is, being away from home for roughly six months in a year attending fabric shows in Paris, visiting Elda, a shoe town in Spain where he has his shoes manufactured, checking his 11 freestanding boutiques in the US and going on research and buying trips.

Educated at Wharton School of Business, Stuart Weitzman is a rare combination of creative intuition and business acumen. He has guided his company to a position of leadership in the high fashion footwear market. That Weitzman both designs every line and heads all business operations should come as no surprise to anyone who is aware of his well-rounded background. He learned about the industry from his designer father whose handmade shoes were sold under the Mr. Seymour label. Weitzman’s apprenticeship at his father’s company took him to every of operation including construction.

When Stuart produced his first "viable" shoe design at age 20, his father proudly bronzed the first high heel pump he ever designed. This is now prominently displayed in his New York showroom. "I always drew as a kid – it was my hobby – but I did not go to Wharton to end up in the shoe business," he says. "I was going to conquer Wall Street. It was only because my father got sick, and then passed away, that I stayed to become a designer. It was the family business," he says simply as though no other explanation was required.

"Lifestyles were changing," Stuart says. "And so I had to expand what our product meant into all sorts of things – boots, novelty shoes, casual shoes, sneakers – the kind of things women wear today. But it started with the eveningwear, and it’s still a specialty of ours. It’s 20 percent of our business where it might have been 80 percent of my father’s business. But at 20 percent, we’re probably the biggest there in evening footwear." The Fairchild Publication, Footwear News, has dubbed Stuart Weitzman "King of the Evening."

Over the years, Stuart has experimented with shoemaking in unusual and even downright peculiar materials. "‘The challenges are what keep me excited every season," he says. "I remember the first lace shoe we did. How are we going to make this lace strong enough to hold up? No one’s willing to pay $250 for a shoe to wear just once. So we had to develop, with the people who made the lace, a nylon thread to use instead of silk or cotton. It had to be strong enough to take the weight; if you weigh 100 pounds, you put 200 pounds of pressure on each step. We did it! The first award I ever won was for my lace bridal shoe." It was Bride’s Magazine, which awarded Stuart Weitzman the Iris Award in 1981 for having created the category of bridal shoes.

It is not uncommon to find Stuart Weitzman shoes made of cork, bamboo and even 24-carat gold. In fact, he created the much-ballyhooed million-dollar shoes for the Oscars. He teamed up with jewelry designer Kwiat and Platinum Guild International to craft a pair of $1 million stiletto sandals encrusted with 464 carats of diamonds, including two five-carat, pear-shaped diamond pendants dangling from the anklestrap on a very fine platinum fabric. The picture was shown to us by Esther, keeping us guessing as to who the lucky actress would be! They were all mum about the identity, being bound by a contract. We thought it was Nicole Kidman or Halle Berry but Oscar night revealed Mulholland Drive co-star Laura Elana Harring as the Cinderella for Stuart’s much-hyped shoe.

Being so unaffected by his fame, he would question women in elevators, in airports and on the streets if he espies a pair of his shoes. "I stop a lot of ladies and ask them, "How do you like that shoe? I made that shoe, you know." Sometimes I got chewed out, but most of the time, I don’t. Usually I hear, "This shoe is so comfortable."

"You wouldn’t think a woman would say a shoe with a two-inch heel is comfortable. But when we design a beautiful shoe and the woman says to me first, "It’s so comfortable, thank you for making it," instead of saying that it’s beautiful, that is the most satisfying. I try to never put the shoe in the collection if it would discourage a woman from coming back. That’s the goal. If it doesn’t feel good, she ain’t coming back."

Stuart is happily married to Jane and has two daughters named Elizabeth and Rachael.

Going into the more personal aspect of his life, I asked him the following questions:

Criselda Lontok: How did you meet Jane? Was it love at first sight?

Stuart Weizman: She was ordering a pair of shoes. It was love of shoes at first sight.

What attracted you to her and vice versa?

She struck me as a nice and sensible woman. Maybe she found me a cool guy with sexy shoes! Everything went well and since both of us were ready to settle down, we got married and have not regretted doing so.

Any embarrassing moment?

I cannot recall of any.

What was your happiest moment?

I love going to work every day. It’s like a hobby ... no ups or downs. I enjoy spending time with my wife and children.

I see you as a one-woman man. Is it true?

I’m a three-women man – my wife and daughters Rachael and Elizabeth.

Is Rachael still involved in songwriting and singing? How about Elizabeth? Is she still busy as a journalist? Has anyone gotten your prowess for designing?

Rachael loves to sing and she does it well. Elizabeth, on the other hand, is a writer and film critic. Both my children excel in their own fields. Do you know that they also design their own shoes?

Being a busy man, do you give quality time to your family? What is your favorite pastime?

Every chance I get, we go on vacation. I am so fortunate to have an understanding family who supports me all the way. My pastime? Well, I love tennis, ping-pong and to relax, I play yo-yo. I’m a yo-yo champ! Do you know that yo-yo was invented in the Philippines? It was used as a weapon. They would throw it out and it would come around again.

You are such an amiable guy. What are your principles in life? What are your likes and dislikes?

My principle is quite simple. I would like to be able to look at the person in the eye the next day ... that I have been fair in my interaction with anyone, that I didn’t do anything wrong to my fellowmen. My likes? I love lots of music, shoes, my hobbies and of course my family. My two children are so special to me. With regard to dislikes, I try to avoid them. I make it a point not to make them a part of my activities. I am not the kind of person who categorizes likes and dislikes. I just don’t pay any attention to them.

Having inherited the business from your father, didn’t you have a hard time coping?

I actually didn’t inherit the business from my father. I worked for my father and brother until he passed away. The company of my father was quite different. It was quite varied and all under the umbrella of Mr. Seymour. I continued the business for 10 years, after which I created my own which was quite limited in scope and named it Stuart Weitzman.

When you see a woman, what’s the first thing you look at – the face, the figure or the legs?

What do you think?

Being a shoe designer, you would look at the legs first.

Right you are! Even in parties, I would remember the woman by the shoes she wears. The problem begins when they both have the same shoes.

What would you prefer: a woman with a beautiful face but no brains or one with wit and intelligence but with a face only a mother could love?

(Laughing) I don’t normally go for gorgeous women. I would rather get to know the woman and fall for someone smart, clever, funny and with other attributes that comprise a wonderful personality.

For your own shoes, do you have any special preference or do you go for any particular brand?

No, I’m not partial to any brand. As long as the shoes are comfortable. I really don’t care for the brand. I sometimes make my own shoes!

If Catherine Deneuve is to Yves St. Laurent and Jessica Sarah Parker is to Manolo Blahnik, who is to Stuart Weitzman?

It’s Laura Elana Harring. She helped me become more famous by using my million-dollar shoes to the Oscars. Do you know that she was given a new movie role after that? Bo Derek would also talk and model my shoes.

Any particular reason why you chose Laura to wear the much hyped million-dollar shoes? Did stylist Ricci Martino have anything to do with it?

Actually, it was George Bloodwell who referred her to me and I’m very glad he did.

Whom would you consider your closest competitor, and why? Of course, everyone knows that no one could match your knowledge of shoemaking, designing and patternmaking.

They are all good.

From the thousands of shoes you have come out with, do you have any favorites?

Oh, undoubtedly, it’s my first bridal lace shoes. I’m proud to say that it was the first innovation in bridal footwear, which eventually won me recognition in the Bridal Accessories Industry Award 20 years ago. I became famous for bridal shoes. In fact, if there were 20 women in the boutique, five of them would be future brides. Another special style for me is my Cinderella or transparent shoes. It surely adds to the femininity of a woman.

Certainly, nothing gives this shoebiz guy more pleasure than watching women enjoy his shoes. And with so many loyal fans, it’s no wonder why he walks with a spring in his shoes.