Zoe Lee: timelessly elegant footwear from a Manolo Blahnik student
The designer, who spent part of her childhood in Hong Kong, founded her own label in 2012. From Blahnik she learned 'never to say never', writes Daniel Kong
What’s the story? Born to a Japanese mother and a Canadian father, Zoe Lee grew up in Canada, Hong Kong and Britain. Armed with degrees from Central Saint Martins and the Royal College of Art, the London-based footwear and accessories designer spent a decade working for brands such as Vivienne Westwood before launching her eponymous shoe label in 2012.
Why we love it: each pair is handmade in Italy to the highest standards and the designs endure the tests of time and trends, an approach Lee picked up from her one-time tutor, Manolo Blahnik.
“What I also learnt from [Blahnik] is to never say never – be it a colour or a material – because styles change all the time,” says Lee What we’d pick: we love the vibrant Addis in metallic blue (£485/HK$5,665; top), the Noble Grey in waterproof cotton jersey (£340; above left) and the sturdy St Rose in black (£460; above right) with stretch wool elastic that can be worn up or down.