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British
footwear designer Beatrix Ong, who is sometimes referred to as
“the new Jimmy Choo” also has an investor come to her rescue this week. Her
buzzed-about shoe line has been backed by Jaeger clothing, led by executives
Harold Tillman and Belinda Earl. They have attained a 60% share in Ong’s
company. Tillman, chairman of the British Fashion Council, told WWD that the
partnership entails “joining forces to build the brand into a global luxury
accessories brand. I feel strongly about supporting the incredible fashion
talent we have in Britain…It is our intention to help her cement this deserved
position and guide her global growth, to become one of the U.K.’s leading
luxury brands.” And with any luck, perhaps one of Hollywood’s.
- 2008 July WOMENS
WEAR DAILY
Beatrix Ong is set to follow in the footsteps
of famous shoe designer Jimmy Choo
She's been dubbed the next Jimmy
Choo - in part, one suspects, because she's Asian, but more because she
apprenticed under the famous shoe designer (now retired), went to the same
school he did, and launched her own eponymous shoe label. Oh, and also, Beatrix
Ong shoes are known for their high heels.
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| 'We're
elevating': Hong Kong-born, London-based Beatrix
Ong (above) points out that shoes are getting higher. Her shoes (next) are
elegant and slightly quirky. |
When the Hong Kong-born, London-based
designer collaborated with Singaporean fashion designer Ashley Isham for last
year's London Fashion Week, Isham handpicked Ong's four-and-a-half-inch Atlas
platform sandals.
Soon, this pair of shoes,
and more, will be available at Into at Palais Renaissance. Beatrix Ong's designs
have made its way here, four years after the label was first launched at London
Fashion Week 2002.
Both the shoemaker and the stockist here,
Into's owner Monica Low, are keeping their fingers crossed that the
spring/summer 2007 collection will arrive before Chinese New Year.
It'll be a season that's partly inspired by
Ong's collaboration with British artist Natasha Law, sister of actor Jude Law.
Law created an illustration exclusively for Beatrix Ong shoeboxes, making them
art collectables.
But don't let the high heels throw you off -
because Ong's shoes run the gamut from flats to platforms. 'I design all kinds
of shoes - they just have to be elegant and slightly quirky,' she says in a
telephone interview.
While she says she doesn't follow trends, she
points out that 'we're elevating', in the sense that shoes are getting higher.
She thinks the wedge, for example, is a great shape. She also creates with
particular people in mind, she says, bestowing the shoes with her friends'
personalities. 'I've designed one called Sadie,' she adds, for actress Sadie
Frost. Other customers include Drew Barrymore, Michelle Yeoh, and Kate Moss.
And when she's at her drawing board, she's
usually designing in high heels. 'It reminds me of what it feels like. That's
the joy of being a female shoe designer,' she quips.
Some of her influences come from China. Ong
worked with Holistic Silk, a wellness brand in London, to design a holistic
slipper with an insole that is based on the ideas of Chinese reflexology.
Magnets in the shoe are said to aid your circulation and encourage the flow of
chi. 'They are completely flexible with removable insoles. All the staff have a
pair for planes!'
Her own favourite shoes include fully-flat
Mary Janes in black patent leather, and red and white roller boots. 'There is
something a bit fun but a bit naughty about the colour red,' Ong suggests. 'Oh,
and it's lucky.'
Another distinctive feature of Ong's shoes is
that they can be personalised - with a printed message on the sole. 'It first
came about doing wedding shoes for our 'I do' collection,' she explains. 'People
like to keep the shoes as a memento, so we print the wedding date at the bottom
of the shoes.'
So what is Beatrix Ong wearing at the moment?
Ironically, she is barefoot in her London studio. Certainly, the ever-
enterprising and creative Beatrix Ong has shoes on her mind, if not her feet.
- SINGAPORE
BUSINESS TIMES 3 Feb 2007
Beatrix Ong shoes will be available at
Into in Singapore this month. The store is located at Palais Renaissance,
#02-07. Tel: 6238 6003
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