Designed for Life Podcast with Nicky Lawler

Published 16th April 2021

A new Designed for Life podcast has released today. Brought to you by The Design and Technology Association in partnership with The Edge Foundation. Listen Now

Nicola Lawler has been designing shoes for over 20 years. 

The London born and based designer co-founded Lawler Duffy Shoes with Lori Duffy, while still at Cordwainers College and began her career by creating shoes for Joe Casely- Hayford. She has collaborated with many designers including Alexander McQueen, Hussein Chalayan and Katharine Hamnett. 

Having consulted for a diverse portfolio of clients from Louis Vuitton & John Lobb (Hermes Group) to Marks and Spencer, Ghost and WGSN. Lawler has extensive experience across the Fashion and Footwear industries, from Luxury to high street and is equally confident designing for both men and women. With a natural attention to detail and a highly developed aesthetic sensibility, her practice is underpinned by a broad understanding of craft and construction from Artisan Bespoke Product, to Performance Sports Footwear. 

Known in the 1990s for working with the waste material Salmon Skin, the environmental impact of the fashion industry plays an integral role in her design approach.

Nicky is currently in-house at Vivienne Westwood as Senior Designer and Head of Footwear. Coupling a uniquely creative eye with in-depth technical understanding, she is passionate about turning ideas into beautiful products. 

This was a very enjoyable and enlightening conversation with a very humble designer with a passion for what she does, I am sure this is a conversation that you will enjoy. Give yourself fifty minutes, sit back and enjoy!

Here are some clips from the podcast to whet your appetite:

• Make it and change it - an iterative process
• Trainers make up 80% of all shoes made
• Mechanisation and mould making
• The way molecules are made up fascinates me