Salvatore Ferragamo design chief Paul Andrew is fashion's in-form fella

Paul Andrew designed footwear at Narciso Rodriguez, Alexander McQueen, Calvin Klein and Donna Karan before starting his own shoe line in 2012. In February 2019 he became creative director at Salvatore Ferragamo. Here, he lays out his thoughts on fashion, from logos to shoes and everything in between.

YOUTH

“Growing up my father was the Queen’s upholsterer at Windsor Castle so I grew up literally on the grounds of Windsor Castle, in amongst all that pomp and circumstance, all those incredible materials and fabrics, and an appreciation for craftsmanship and artisanship – never scrimping or cutting corners on making something.”

STYLE

“I live in a white T-shirt and dark pants. Embarrassingly, that’s basically my uniform.”

IDEAS

“I find inspiration everywhere – modern art, architecture, furniture, travel, photography.”

AGELESS

“When I design, I think would these clothes look good on a person who’s 17, 30, 50, 70? Would they all wear it? If you look at the casting of my shows, it’s a very diverse mix of people of all ages.”

SMART

“I’m not about logo sportswear. I think that has a time limit and it doesn’t feel luxurious. Wonderfully, we’re finding that people want to get a little bit dressed up again.”

PRINCIPLES

“My design philosophy has always been toe-to-head. Create a strong structure and then build upwards upon it.”

RETRO

“I guess I’m going back to my youth, but I listen to a lot of ’80s and ’90s music which has become a soundtrack to my fashion shows, but has also inspired a lot of the look of the clothes… there’s definitely an early ’80s and ’90s vibe coming through.”

THANKS

“I feel grateful and humbled by the opportunity to steward this brand. I want to give the best that I’ve got every day.”