MA Fashion Footwear
Pernilla. Appropriating industrial design and manufacturing processes to bespoke shoemaking. Catâs MA final collection of bespoke footwear PERNILLA steps out of the traditional footwear context, blurring the lines between footwear and artefact. Grounded in a unique interpretation of architecture and sculpture, the collection is based on complex CadCam work and a labour intensive fabrication process using 3-axis milling machines. The collection explores different manufactuaring techniques and the notion of bespoke shoemaking is scrutinized. Instead of using a last or measuring the foot by hand, a 3D scanner is used to accurately map the contours of the foot. Each foot is then analysed using four variables: length, width, breadth at the toes and instep. The end result being a series of sophisticated and elegant sculptural bespoke forms made from different types of wood (Walnut, Sapele and Pear) that trace the silhouette form of the foot on the inside, diffusing its profile on the outside. The collection has won the Jimmy Choo MA Final Collection Award for Excellence 2012 from the Cordwainerâs Guild and was runner up for the MA Design Award for Best Collection in 2012 from the London College of Fashion. www.catpotter.com Photos: Alejandro Cavallo 3D CadCam work: Vijay at DotSan (www.dotsan.com)