Patrick Cox Overview

"Wannabe" is the name of shoe designer Patrick Cox's lower-priced collection, which appeals to folks who want to emulate the look of the high-end stuff. But a wannabe this top designer is not. From his school days in the mid-1980s up... [more]

"Wannabe" is the name of shoe designer Patrick Cox's lower-priced collection, which appeals to folks who want to emulate the look of the high-end stuff. But a wannabe this top designer is not. From his school days in the mid-1980s up until the present, Cox has had a brilliant avant-garde career designing shoes. Cox combines classic elements from the history of shoe design with his own modernist flourishes. He alludes to shoes of yore, fashioning clunky footwear with large square buckles that recall the sober feet of Puritans. Or he recreates soft leather boots with strands of lacing and demure little buttons that are coyly Victorian. Cox takes these fashions of old and makes them irreverent. He might add silk fringe or tack on long, thin, sexy heels or throw in chain mesh. Or he'll jazz up the traditional black loafer by adorning it with the colors of the British flag and adding his signature blocky heel. Cox got his foot in the door designing shoes for a Vivienne Westwood collection when he was still just a student. Since the early '90s, he's created quite a name for himself by opening shops in London, Paris, and New York. A hit in the world of haute couture, Cox produces an attractive, accessible product: his world famous "Wannabe" collection is defined by the heavy-heeled, square-toed, bulky loafers he designs for both men and women. Cox has also won praise for his recent squishy-plastic "jelly" designs. Whether it be translucent opened-toed sandals available in a variety of colors or the jelly-boot or -shoe equivalent, these playful shoes give a whole new meaning to the phenomenon of the foot fetish. [show less]