A pair of shoes can change your life; just ask Cinderella, or that Iraqi journalist Muntadhar al-Ziadi. Footwear is a favorite of fairy-godmothers and the foreign press when it comes to leaving a mark on the past. So it makes sense that the industry's hottest shoe line, LDtuttle, is designed by a Princeton graduate with a degree in history.
Tiffany Tuttle, 31, left college with a passion for couture, enrolling in the Fashion Institute of Technology. After receiving her second degree, this one in fashion design, she worked at Givenchy, Paris and Rebecca Taylor, New York. While working on runway shows for three years, she decided she wanted to pursue shoes and thus enrolled in school for the third time, this one specializing in shoes and located in Milan. But this hardworking and well-rounded woman is no princess.
Tuttle shies away from the typical glass slipper. "I like things that are a bit rougher, not perfect, girly or pretty," Tuttle said. But because of her extensive schooling they are classic and well constructed. "They are based in concept design, with a focus on silhouette. But I think something that is a bit messed up more is more interesting than something that is more perfect."
Her line is duly influenced by the two places she spends most of her time: Milan, the location of her shoe factory, and Los Angeles, where she currently resides. Milan is a mecca for classic style, visually opposite of the new-obsessed culture of California. But Tuttle draws from each.
"If I had to spend all my time here I would be super sick of it, but L.A. is a really visual culture - architecture, landscape."
In reality this city is much like her shoes.
"It's mixed: mountains, ocean, urban and pure cement. Some people think it is hideous but I love it! There is such a bazaar mix of things and textures. The city takes textures and smooshes them, coming up with something new."
It is Los Angeles that influences Tuttle's visual aesthetic, but Milan which shapes her style, and this combination is what made LDtuttle a perfect candidate for Erin Wasson's first collection at RVCA.
Wasson is a former model with a self described personal style deemed "frumpy sexiness." She bought a pair of Tuttle's shoes in Los Angeles and was hooked. But Wasson isn't the only one.
LDtuttle is making its way from the catwalk and the pages of Vogue and Elle to a sidewalk near you in a collaboration with Urban Outfitters. This collection, which featured two styles in fall and more in the coming months, is perfect for the stylish student.
As they say, "if the shoe fits, wear it!" And if it doesn't fit? Well if it's LDtuttle, make it fit.
