Ruby red shoes by Filipino designer wows Milan fashion folk

MANILA, Philippines - A pair of black shoes can get a woman through the day but, as Dorothy would attest, red shoes will take her places.

Take the Flutterby, for example: sensual and fanciful, this bright red pump stood out among the 800 entries that were submitted to this year’s Cinderthriller, the international shoe design contest hosted by shoe brand Alberto Guardiani and i-D magazine. Made of suede and with an intricately detailed and hand-painted butterfly wing heel, the shoe delicately balances fantasy with function, cutting an iconic figure at the concept store 10 Corso Como in Milan, where it was displayed atop a revolving vintage turntable inside a glass dome during the Cinderthriller Finale “It Will Make Your Heart Flutter” evening last Feb. 24. Impressing competition judges Anna Dello Russo and i-D creator Terry Jones, the Flutterby has been touted as the latest “it” shoe by Italian fashion publications.

 Remarkably, this sophisticated pump is the first foray into shoe design of its creator. Twenty-eight-year-old Lady San Pedro, an advertising creative from Manila who is now based in Barcelona, has long had a taste for footwear that runs more along the decadent lines and forms of vintage Ferragamo and Alexander McQueen, and her first shoe design displays hints of that kind of extravagance. Spurred on by the idea of spontaneity — the ability to “wing it,” literally and figuratively with this shoe — San Pedro made her Cinderthriller entry with intelligent and experienced women in mind, and the end result was more than just a pretty pump: the combination of a vivid color, stratospheric heels, and softly curved wings is powerful yet still nimble-looking, able to elicit an emotional reaction from any woman with a profound appreciation for a well-designed shoe (aside from the understandable, “I want a pair.”)

Toast of the town: Italian fashion scene movers such as 10 Corso Como creator Carla Sozzani have declared San Pedro’s design as the latest “it” shoe. Photos courtesy of Alberto Guardiani

YStyle recently caught up via email with San Pedro, who is busy working with the Alberto Guardiani team in promoting the Flutterby shoe, soon to be sold at 10 Corso Como in Milan and at Colette in Paris.

YSTYLE: How long have you been intrigued with shoes and shoe design?

LADY SAN PEDRO: The Flutterby is the first shoe I’ve designed, but it is not the first idea I’ve had for a design. At various points in my life, I’ve dreamed up different footwear ideas but just never put them to paper. It was the Cinderthriller competition that enticed me to go ahead try my hand at it.

How did you learn of Cinderthriller and what compelled you to join it?

I learned of it by chance, stumbling upon it on i-D’s website. Seeing that it was open to both designers and non-designers, I gave it a shot. Application was simple, requiring only a digital image of the design to be submitted online along with a short write-up. In the months that followed, the organizers first got in touch with me because I made it to the top 10, then they followed up with additional questions regarding the design. Eventually, they called to tell me I was part of the top three. From there, the correspondence involved arrangements for my attending various events at Milan Fashion Week.

Madame butterfly: A first time shoe designer, Lady San Pedro has long admired vintage Ferragamo and Alexander McQueen footwear.

What were you doing when you learned that you were the winner?

News of my win was broken to me in Milan, at our hotel lobby. Elisabeth Cook, from Guardiani’s web marketing team, rang me up in my room to come down and meet her. The news was delivered to me privately and intimately, save for documentation on video, which was done through most of my stay there.

What are the prizes you won from Cinderthriler?

Prizes include the shoe’s production and distribution, cash and loads of exposure. Personally, the biggest prize is the big break of having my piece of work accepted by an influential design community. From here, I plan to further learn—formally and informally—about shoe design, to see how it can be a career option.

What were your ideas when you were designing Flutterby?

My first idea was to design a shoe using the farfalle noodle, which is shaped like a butterfly. When developing the design, farfalle evolved into farfalla, which is the Italian word for butterfly. From there, I began playing around with fresh ways to incorporate the almost-too-familiar butterfly-wing element into a shoe.

Was “Flutterby” the original name of your shoe?

Actually, I originally named the shoe “Farfalla.” Terry Jones re-dubbed it as the “Flutterby,” though, which, for many reasons, I quite like and agree with, too.

What material were you thinking it to be made of, and who were you imagining wearing it?

I had thought of the shoe to be made of a matte upper, in some sort of fabric or suede. Amazingly, the Alberto Guardiani team had done it in suede. Its wearer I imagined to be Cate Blanchett, an accomplished and elegant woman.

Main attraction: Besting the almost 800 other entries, the Flutterby, made of red suede, was presented at the 10 Corso Como in Milan and will be part of the Alberto Guardiani A/W 2012 collection.

How has the European fashion crowd reacted to the shoe?

In Italy, so far, reception of the Flutterby has been very good, with the shoe featured in countless Italian publications and websites, including Elle, Vogue, Vanity Fair, and Grazia. It has also been formally announced that the shoe will be sold in Milan’s 10 Corso Como as well as at Colette Paris, autumn of this year. Of course, the Flutterby will be available in Alberto Guardiani stores as part of the A/W 2012 line.

What have you been busy with in Barcelona since moving there?

I’ve continued doing branding work for clients in Manila and I am also currently in touch with the Guardianis regarding the branding, packaging and other communication materials for the Flutterby.

Now that you are an award-winning shoe designer, is it safe to assume that you have a sizable shoe collection?

Truthfully, compared to most women I know, I own very few pairs of shoes; about only 18 to 20 pairs on average.

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Visit Lady San Pedro’s website: whatladylikes.com.