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Ladies' Dress
Winner
Designer
Li Tsz Ching
Manufacturer
Le Saunda
Holdings Ltd
Theme
Cat
- Staccato Award for Grand Champion
- Joy & Peace Award for Creativity
- The Most Popular Award of Media
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The wonders of nature and wildlife provided dramatic inspiration for the winning designs in the 2005 Hong Kong Footwear Design Competition.
Numerous creative works by gifted young Hong Kong designers won rapturous applause from the panel of expert judges at the industry's annual design contest.
Building on the city's reputation as an Asian footwear design hub, Hong Kong designers amazed the audience with whimsical creative ideas that further enhance the local industry's reputation for quality and durability.
As Hong Kong Leather Shoe and Shoe Material Merchants Association chairman Tang Yiu said: "Good quality is the key to attracting consumers and the bedrock of a successful brand."
He noted that the local footwear industry had surged ahead through the application of new technology and features such as anti-bacterial and anti-odour functions, sensitivity to latest market trends, accelerated production cycles, and well-trained and highly efficient designers and craftsmen.
"Thanks to these efforts, Hong Kong footwear will become increasingly recognised by leading brands and buyers all over the world," Tang maintained.
A joint effort by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, the Hong Kong Leather Shoe and Shoe Material Merchants Association and the Hong Kong Rubber & Footwear Manufacturers' Association, the fifth footwear design competition is an important part of the industry's evolution.
The contest is traditionally a highly competitive arena that attracted more than 500 entries this year, with 50 finalists vying for honours and prizes that will provide the aspiring designers with a career-boosting platform.
Li Tsz Ching, with his furry Cat high heels, netted four of the top prizes: Staccato Award for Grand Champion, Champion of the Ladies' Dress, Joy & Peace Award for Creativity, and The Most Popular Award of Media.
His winning design, in silvery blue leather with fluffy white fur and a dangling crystal chain around the ankle, depicts a kneeling cat. "Shoes adorned with cat images are not uncommon, though it is unique to show off the animal on a shoe's heel," Li explained. "The piece seamlessly blends an artistic cat figure with the glamour of evening shoes."
Fellow award winner Lam Bik Yan bagged two prizes for her creative efforts - the APLF Global Market Award and Champion of the Men's category.
Lam's Blue Pigments design displays a witty interplay of lambskin and three different kinds of denim, suggesting a smart casual lifestyle. "The shoes can be easily mixed and matched with smart casual clothing as well as suits, unlike typical 'boring' leather work shoes for men," said Lam, who is a fashion design student at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University.
"Wearable to me means not only fashionable and comfortable, but also the ability to pair with a variety of outfits."
Ladies' Casual award winner Chau Pei Shan echoed the whimsical approach with her self-explanatory Greening design. "The green sandals were inspired by nature and various species of trees and plants," she said.
The veined instep and heels resembling tree branches are highlights of the work. "The design is quite elaborate and brilliant craftsmanship is required to make the shoes," added Chau, a third-year student at the Institute of Vocational Education (IVE).
Also from IVE is Lo Kai Cheong, who believed his studies in manufacturing and engineering gave him the balance between creativity and product manufacturing that enabled his Spaceship Shoes design to snatch top honours in the Children's category and helped him win the Y-NOT KiDS Award for the Most Smart Kids Shoes.
"Portraying my image of a toy spaceship, this colourful and lively pair of trainers is specially designed to amuse kids," he said. "All materials used were consciously chosen to protect children's feet."
Lo Man Yiu, whose Patchwork design won first prize in the Sports category, was enthusiastic about exotic ethnic prints and colours as well as tastefully decorated accessories. "The small pieces of suede sewn together, the colourful mixture and the laces are imbued with the romance of ethnic cultures," she believed.
The competition also saw Sing Shing Shoes Fty take The Best Corporate Design award and Staccato Footwear Co Ltd clinch the Shoemaster Award for Corporate Creativity.
Thanks to these extremely creative talents, the Hong Kong footwear industry looks certain to continue striding confidently forward into a new and exciting future of high quality shoe designs.
WRITTEN BY VANAPA ONGVISES
