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FANTASY FOOTWEAR
Mr Levi began designing shoes when he was a high
school student. “I was always fascinated with the shapes of
footwear and saw them as wearable sculptures,” he says.
“My first designs were created when I was in high school.
They were made from cardboard back then. I wanted to
show my own point of view with my artistic designs.”
He went on to study footwear design and development
at Bezalel Academy of Arts & Design, Jerusalem, graduating
in 2001. “Later I went to ‘old school’ shoe makers to learn
the technical aspects of the craft,” he explains. “This way I
acquired the tools to create my designs by myself.”
With the help of an assistant, Mr Levi handmakes his
footwear in a studio in Tel Aviv using leather for the uppers
and soles. He describes leather as “the most sustainable
and nice looking material for shoes”. “Sometimes I buy it in
Tel Aviv but I also get some leather in China when I am
there or anywhere else. A while ago a person who owns a
leather tannery sent me a package full of different leathers
to make shoes from. He just liked the designs so much that
he wanted me to make something new from his leathers.
That’s nice!” he says.
Trial and error
Mr Levi currently offers seven styles in limited editions of
20 pairs per style for sale, producing them according to
order. “Later on we will offer more styles in limited editions,”
he says. “I am also working on new styles all the time.”
The design, development and production of a new style
can take up to a month, he says. Many of his designs are
very technical and require substantial thought and
development to make them wearable. “I do change my mind
during development stages,” he says. “If something cannot
be made the way I first planned to make it, then I have to
find a solution and make it in another way. Sometimes this
means that the design has to change also. It’s all about trial
and error for me.
“After the first prototype is ready, it’s easier to duplicate it
but sometimes there are modifications to be made, so that can
take a few weeks as well. We commit to delivery within two
to three weeks from order, depending on the specific style.”
Mr Levi describes his creations as “something in between
art, design and fashion”. But however much his designs
venture into the art sector, they are always functional, as he
explains: “It’s important to me that all designs are wearable.
That doesn’t mean they are comfort shoes". Wearing high
heel shoes is always challenging for most women, so my
designs are no different in this regard. Nonetheless, I will
not compromise on creating the shape that is true to the
essence of the design at hand. This balance is tricky and
takes a lot of effort during development, but it’s possible. I
think finding this balance is the most difficult step in the
design process.”
From birds and coffee to contemporary Chinese culture
and classic furniture design, Mr Levi's footwear take a
humourous look at shoes and have been exhibited in
art galleries for their sculptural qualities.
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