Have you seen Lady Gaga strut around in her infamous “heels without heels”? I wonder how she’s able to walk in them!
Anything that the pop icon wears will truly be a hit, including these gravity-defying shoes. Noritaka Tatehana, the young Japanese designer who created these 9-inch platforms, has made it to the news himself and gained a cult following among fashion insiders, thanks to the exposure.
Having recently graduated from the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts, where he majored in Textile Arts, Noritaka says he gets his inspiration from old cultures, which he tries to reflect through his avant-garde creations.
His shoes were inspired by classic heel-less shoes worn in Venice back in the 16th century as well as the unique shape of the Kan Pokkuri, clogs made of empty cans made by Japanese children back in the day. The children can walk with the clogs by holding a cord passed through the holes made in the cans.
According to Noritaka, who has been designing shoes and clothes since he was 15, he didn’t plan an entirely new business venture when he initially produced these shoes. He just sent an email to Lady Gaga’s stylist Nicola Formichetti so he can sell the shoes he had created for his graduation project. Formichetti then replied to him, requesting to make a pair for Gaga. Since then, the pop star known for her outrageous style has been wearing his creations in various magazine shoots, guestings and music videos. These heel-less shoes turned out to be his most famous and profitable creation, and he is constantly improving on his work. “I must continue working on my designs in order to live up to Lady Gaga’s expectations,” Noritaka says during an interview with MTV Style.
Noritaka holding one of his heel-less creations (photo courtesy of racked.com)
What constantly drives him is his faith in the power of fashion. “What you wear or you put on qualifies you, and it is, in a way, a communication tool,” he says. He dreams of showcasing his designs at the Paris Fashion Week one of these days, but for now he focuses on his two annual shoe collections.
If you’re interested to snag some Gaga style with these handmade platforms, which cost around $10,000 a pair, they are now available at Noritaka’s online boutique.
Think you can walk the walk? Try on a pair for size (photo courtesy of Noritaka Tatehana's collection)
References include interviews from cluster.net