Victoria’s Secret catwalk: Nicholas Kirkwood’s sexy shoes

Imagine being solicited to be part of a Victoria’s Secret catwalk. Imagine the honour, the prestige, the fantasy. Nicholas Kirkwood was part of the 2012 experience.

“Sophia Neophitou-Apostolou, who styles the show, approached me earlier this year to see if I’d be interested in collaborating. They gave me the six themes, sketches and access to the fabrications. From there it was about creating styles that worked with each look, making sure each shoe reflected the theme.”

The themes ranged from an elegant Silver Screen to playful Toy Pink, kinky Angels in Bloom to provocative Circus, seductive Dangerous Liaisons to innocent Calendar Girls; each segment demanded a distinct design identity.

“I didn’t know exactly which model would be wearing each style but you definitely think about the personality of a Victoria’s Secret model and the fantasy they look to create on the runway,” he explained.

“I think Victoria’s Secret is so popular purely because it is a fantasy – they have fun with it and it’s desirable.”

Bregje Heinen wore dainty platform sandals from Nichloas’s Silver Screen collection. Lily Donaldson had these towering platform sandals that were covered in sparkling crystals. Elsa Hosk stepped onto the catwalk with high-top trainers from the Toy Pink collection. Candice Swanepoel wore stunning sandals that crept up her calves in a vine-like manner. Adriana Lima strode down the runway with over the knee boots detailed with golden embroidery; a mix of a vixen and a circus mistress, while Miranda Kerr wore a satin embroidered pair of heels from the Dangerous Liaisons collection to finish off her outfit.

Nicholas is no stranger to fame; some of his clientele include the likes of Grace Jones and Cecilia Dean of celebrated art-house publication Visionaire as well as a design stint at Chloé. Coming from an alumnus of prestigious design schools, Central Saint Martins and Cordwainers, Nicholas launched his first ever collection in spring 2005.

Apart from Victoria’s Secret, Nicholas has collaborated with Swarovski, resulting in a sub-collection of black evening shoes, all featuring a sliced into heel with a large black sphere-cut crystal suspended in it. A black fabric formed of 100s of mini Swarovski crystals contrasts with lizard and satin.

Pooja Sahny

Nicholas’s collections can be found at leading retailers worldwide including: Dover Street Market, Browns, Harvey Nichols, On Pedder, Coccodrillo, Le Bon Marche, Via Bus Stop, Maxfield, Podium and here.