Sole lovers

Charlotte Dellal

Charlotte, 29, is the original, leopard print-loving glamazon. A graduate of Cordwainers and the sister of model Alice Dellal, her irreverent designs are inspired by the 1940s and 1950s. She always wanted to start her own business and in 2008 launched Charlotte Olympia (her two first names). She opened her Maddox Street shop in 2010 and will be opening her first New York boutique later this month. Charlotte works from her studio in Ladbroke Grove, close to where she lives with her husband, investment banker Maxim Crewe, and their two sons. At London Fashion Week she is looking forward to 'seeing her shoes walk' in the
Alice Temperley, Victoria Beckham and Matthew Williamson shows.

What's your shoe philosophy?
I don't think shoes should be shared so I don't lend or borrow. It's too personal - like sharing underwear.

How do you name your shoes?
I think about it long and hard. It's like naming babies. The names have to suit the shoe and vice versa. My first shoe was named after my sister.

Have you ever tripped and fallen in your own shoes?
Ironically, I've only had bad falls when wearing Converse.

What shoes would you design for the Duchess of Cambridge?
Something classic with a platform.

Nicholas Kirkwood

Hats, not shoes, were Nicholas's introduction to accessories. After graduating in fine art from Central Saint Martins in 1999, Nicholas, now 31, started working for Philip Treacy on the shop floor and noticed that the customers' kitten heels and pointy mules didn't match up to the avant-garde confections they were buying. So he enrolled at Cordwainers, but only completed half the course before starting on his first collection at his Whitechapel studio. Launched in 2004, his signature architectural style has since been seen on the catwalks of Peter Pilotto, Erdem and Roksanda Ilincic, and he opened his first boutique on Mount Street in Mayfair last year.

You lived with Isabella Blow in the 1990s, did she inspire any of your early designs?
Isabella wore Manolos, which were by far the best thing happening at the time. She also wore Benoît Méléard, who designed very conceptual shoes. I wanted to marry the two, to combine delicateness with a conceptual idea.

What kind of shoe would you design for Lady Gaga?
Lady Gaga already has a few pairs of mine. She wore my black heeled boots on The X Factor last year. Apparently she was stomping around in them so I'm glad I didn't watch it.

What does shoe heaven look like?
Imelda Marcos's closet. She had 3,000 pairs.

Chrissie Morris

Chrissie was having a bad day during her time at Milan's Domus [fashion] Academy, so she bought herself a pair of 4in open-toe shoes. They came with an epiphany. Suddenly she understood the psychological boost of high heels. With a fashion degree from Liverpool John Moores University already behind her, she returned from Italy to teach herself to make shoes, with frequent trips to Northampton, Britain's shoe-making capital. Chrissie, 35, now a mother of three, started her own company in 2007 and her first collection, for S/S 2008, was Art Deco-inspired, using stingray shagreen. She is now stocked at Matches and Dover Street Market and beloved by Gisele Bündchen and Beyoncé.

What do shoes say about a person?
A lot: they're a mirror to the soul. But I look
at the quality, first and foremost.

What's the highest heel you've created?
I won't go higher than 13cm [5in] but I'm trying to get away from that now and I'm working on a mid-height heel.

Is there a pair of shoes you're most proud of?
My first shoe, Sunbeam, became iconic and was copied by high street brands. Blending classic and innovative styles launched
my career. ES