Winner 2023 / Special Awards / ARTISTIC FOOTWEAR

Puffed

 

 

  • Lead Designer
    Deborah Kiwi
  • Photo credit
    Shay Ben-efraim
  • Prize
    Winner in ARTISTIC FOOTWEAR
  • Expertise
    Independent

Material: leather, fiberfill
This work visits the craze of blown up, puffy fashion. Clean lines have been replaced by playful, bulky silhouettes. Taking the insecurities of the past few years, it is not surprising that we are seeing over-the-top, inflated garments everywhere.
We can all use a bit of absurdly padded fun at the moment. Or are we actually craving the warm, protective embrace it offers? Either way, it feels like we want to divorce ourselves from reality. With escapism in mind, this footwear is playfully altering familiar lines and distorting volume into whimsical proportions.

Bio
Deborah Kiwi, a Dutch shoe designer and maker based in Tel Aviv, specialises in the design and creation of conceptual, artistic footwear. This female voice aims to push the boundaries of what footwear can be. Using this fascinating, diverse object and what it represents, to explore our relationship to gender, status and culture.

Other prizes
Global Footwear Awards 2022 Overall Winner - Category Special Awards Global Footwear Awards 2022 Category Winner - Category Special Awards Global Footwear Awards 2021 Winner - Category Artistic Footwear Global Footwear Awards 2021 Honorable Mention - Category Artistic Footwear