Footwear designer Terry de Havilland dies

Famous British footwear designer Terry de Havilland has died at the age of 81. His creations were worn by stars like Amy Winehouse, Marianne Faithfull, David Bowie, Cher and Kate Moss.

“Rock’n’roll cobbler”

De Havilland’s influence on the fashion industry in the 1960s and 1970s can not be overestimated: known as the “rock’n’roll cobbler”, he treated shoes as spectacular works of art at a time when footwear was largely conservative, discreet and functional. “Before Terry de Havilland, people didn’t look at shoes. He made them look down. And I think he really connected the celebrity culture with footwear, which of course now we take for granted“, Darla-Jane Gilroy of the London College of Fashion told WWD.

De Havilland was best known for his platform heels, wedges and lace-up boots. His most famous designs include the shoes Tim Curry wore in “The Rocky Horror Picture Show”, and those Angelina Jolie wore in “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider” in 2001. The designer lived through some hard times: in the 1980s and 1990s, his shoe brands Kamikaze Shoes and The Magic Shoe went bankrupt. Nevertheless, many celebrities continued to wear his designs.