Alain Quilici

Luisaviaroma, Public Image PR - Spring/Summer 2010

Drawing from Japanese anime and the tension between man and machine, Alain Quilici created his first shoe collection in 2007. For Spring 2010, Quilici attached architectural wedges to simple shoes, a relief from footwear sloppier than loaded plates in a buffet.  The cutouts in the first shoe recall tree trunks but cut and treated for human use. By resting the organic colored upper on a distinctly processed wedge, Quilici comments on how the natural and manmade rub shoulders. However, the wedges on the other shoes from Spring 2010, particularly on the oxford heels, are more gum stuck to the back than something that belongs. To be ahead of the curve, designers have to start off with something new, be it in the shape, materials and so on, rather than pile on top of what has already been done. Otherwise Quilici translates his unique vision into sculptural shoes you can show off on your feet, not just on a shelf.