Custom Shoemaking for Fashion Photoshoots: Our Collaboration with Solace London
Solace London is a British womenswear brand founded by the incredibly talented duo Laura Taylor and Ryan Holliday-Stevens in 2013. Known for their sleek silhouettes and modern aesthetic, the brand is a go-to for confident, fashion-forward women. With a dynamic background in design, production, retail, marketing and creative direction, it's no wonder Solace London has built a strong global following and is frequently featured in high-profile fashion publications.
We’re proud to call them not only our industry peers but also our studio neighbours. Having worked in the same East London building for over five years, it was a real pleasure when they approached us to create bespoke handmade shoes for their Resort 2020 fashion photoshoot.
At I Can Make Shoes, we specialise in teaching people who to make their own shoes so it's always a fun project when we get to create something custom for designers, stylists and creative professionals. We love collaborating on projects that bring creative visions to life through unique, handcrafted footwear. For the Solace London Resort 2020 collection, we were asked to sample original shoe prototypes that would reflect the clean, architectural lines of their garments.
The result was a stunning lineup of shoes that perfectly complemented the collection, enhancing the overall look on set and in editorials. The collection was featured on vogue.com, and we were thrilled to have contributed to such an exciting fashion moment.
Our bespoke shoemaking service is ideal for fashion brands and creatives who need one-of-a-kind footwear for runway shows, campaign shoots, red carpet appearances or brand lookbooks. Whether you're dreaming up sculptural heels, minimalistic flats or conceptual styles, we create each pair with attention to detail, craftsmanship and creative flair.
Working closely with designers, we bring footwear concepts to life through a collaborative process that includes sketch interpretation, material sourcing, prototype development and sample production. Using a combination of traditional shoemaking techniques and modern prototyping tools, we deliver shoes that are both wearable and visually impactful.
We worked with @solacelondon again to prototype the shoes for their SS20 collection. This time we made the uppers out of giant bows using their 'octo' print fabric and the heels were hand-carved wood. 💙⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Here's what Solace co-founder Ryan had to say about the print:⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
"The starting point in the design process was a hand-drawn illustration my mum had done whilst at art college in the 70’s, it was re-worked into the Octo print as seen here in SS20. Ryan X"
If you’re a designer or stylist looking for custom-made shoes for your next fashion shoot or collection, we’d love to chat. Our East London studio is open to creative collaborations, and we’re always excited to help bring bold footwear ideas to life.
learn shoemaking for yourself
I created a free 40-minute online course called 'Introduction to Shoemaking' to show how easy home shoemaking can be and to give you a little taste of what I Can Make Shoes is all about.
SIGN UP HERE for instant access.
If you are wanting to dive a little deeper into the world of home shoemaking, my online Footwear Masterclass is one of the most popular shoemaking courses in the world!! 🌍 (Casual brag! lol)
The course covers how to make shoes from scratch including heels, flats, boots, sneakers, sandals, and more. The thing that really sets this course apart from others is that it's specifically designed for total beginners and requires very little in the way of tools & equipment, there's even a bonus module on how to start your own shoe brand. To make getting started even easier, the course comes with a FREE Shoemaking Starter Kit, delivered to your door, anywhere in the world! 🌍
We are a tight community and regularly limit our intake to ensure the best experience for our students - so if our enrolment is closed I would recommend you sign up for our FREE Introduction to Shoemaking course while you wait.
Happy Shoemaking, Amanda xx
Pssssssst.... If you want to have a look at the shoes our students have been making, give us a follow on Instagram.
