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| Sarah Flint: Designer of shoes that are “comme il faut” by Delia von Neuschatz “Taste over trend” is shoe designer Sarah Flint’s credo and as such, her eponymous collection is a beautiful breath of fresh air. If you’re looking for blinged-out sky-high stilettos, read no further. But if you’re in the market for carefully crafted shoes with style and quality written all over them, then you have just found yourself a favorite new designer. It is a pre-occupation with the past, particularly the styles of the 1940s, which inspires this 25-year old’s ladylike designs ... up to a point. The slim sexy heels brings them squarely into the present. Heidi Klum is a fan and this Project Runaway judge should know a thing or two about spotting young talent. |
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| Spying a gap in the marketplace, she “wanted to create a product where the design is dictated by structure and fit and the integrity of the material rather than by what you put on top of the shoe,” says Flint. In this, she found a kindred spirit in Richard Siccardi, a pattern-maker and much sought-after instructor at the prestigious Ars Sutoria footwear school in Milan, Flint’s alma mater. |
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| She approached him about starting a label, but not before doing her homework. As Siccardi is routinely tapped by students eager to partner with him in launching their own footwear lines, Flint knew she had to come up with a solid course of action. It helped that she grew up listening to her venture capitalist father talking about start ups — what made them successful and the challenges they face. So, she put together a business plan, secured some funding and recruited several industry veterans. Not bad for someone who’s just barely out of design school. |
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| And speaking of school, Flint’s fashion chops are assured. Not only did she receive intense training at Ars Sutoria, the premier footwear school in the world, but stateside, she is an alumnus of both Parsons and FIT and has internships at Diane von Furstenberg and Proenza Schouler under her belt to boot. |
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| Most (if not all) designers recall an early love of fashion and Flint is no exception. At the age of 15, she applied for a job at the luxury retailer in her town, a suburb of Boston, only to be turned down on account of her age. Undeterred, she returned to the store week after week until the manager relented and hired her as a sales assistant. It wasn’t long before the high school student became the store’s top seller. “As a designer, the experience of working in retail is invaluable,” says Flint. |
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| So, where does this Massachusetts native get her love of fashion? Flint is quick to credit her grandmother with whom she admits to sharing clothes. Now, it’s safe to say that most young women don’t share clothes with their mothers, much less their grandmothers, but then, there aren’t too many grandmothers like Joan Flint around. Sharp, artistic, a long-time denizen of Paris and eternally chic, it is easy to see why her granddaughter considers her a style icon. |
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| With her second collection (S/S 2014) completed, Flint is now hard at work on A/W 2014 and on expanding the number of stores that carry her brand. New Yorkers can currently find her footwear at Tribeca’s beautifully-curated Edon Manor boutique and through her website. With designs that are sure to look as good a decade from now as they do today and quality that will guarantee longevity, Sarah Flint is certainly “One to Watch” as proclaimed by Women’s Wear Daily. Shoe mavens, stay tuned. |
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