Chau Har Lee Projects

Designer name: Chau Har Lee

Chau is Chinese but was born and brought up in London.

Career highlight: “Meeting Manolo Blahnik and receiving an award from him.”

Design background: Chau studied her BA at Cordwainers College (2002) and then completed her MA at the Royal College of Art (2009). She tutored at London College of Fashion and Prescott & Mackay. As well as working as a freelance designer, she worked at Nicole Farhi as an accessories designer, production assistant and maker of leather architectural interiors.

Design signatures: “My designs span conceptual showpieces to elegant and original but accessible footwear. I often employ a crossover of making and manufacturing processes from fields other than shoemaking in order to realise my concepts. This gives me massive scope for creativity in the design stage by removing boundaries associated with traditional methods. However, my knowledge of traditional shoemaking lets me know how and where I can break these boundaries. Importantly, although my most conceptual designs are showpieces, they are still built to adorn the foot.

To summarise, the more inventive pieces are desirable as bold fashion statements and the more accessible shoes are unique, timeless and beautiful.”

How would you describe the Chau Har Lee woman? “Aged between 25 and 50, she appreciates luxury and exclusivity coupled with high quality and considered design. A professional and independent woman with discerning taste, a sense of fun and an awareness of fashion trends, yet she is not a fashion victim.”

Name three things that are inspiring you for spring/summer 2011: “New materials, interesting structures and my mother’s wardrobe.”

Contact details
Sales Contact

Chau Har Lee

chau@chauharlee.co.uk

Tel:(+)44 (0) 78 8071 6462

Press Contact

Chau Har Lee

chau@chauharlee.co.uk

Tel:(+)44 (0) 78 8071 6462

London Show Rooms

40 rue Richelieu

Paris