Interview with shoe designer Chau Har Lee

Chau Har Lee is a London-based shoe designer who has worked with Yves Saint Laurent and Nike among others. she recently told designboom more about her influences and approach to shoe design.

DB: please could you tell us a bit about your background and why you decided to become a shoe designer?

CHL: I've enjoyed making things from a very young age and was encouraged to pursue my creative interests by my family, particularly my mother who was a dressmaker working from home, I loved to watch her take what looked like random shapes and see it transform into a garment. I always found the process of constructing and making things fascinating. after hight school, I applied for an art foundation course at camberwell college of arts. it was a fantastic year, a lot of fun, and a chance to be really express myself creatively and learn the best fit for my skills. I found my strengths lied in textiles and sculpture. the shoe designer olivia morris visited our college and set us a shoe design brief, it was while working on that project that I discovered it to be the perfect blend of the things I enjoyed most so much so that when I finished that course I applied for a BA in shoe design at cordwainers college.

See more of this inteview and designs by Char Har Lee here.