The Catalog
“i JusT love The enTire process of creaTing, so i guess i’m “in ThaT mood” 95% of The day.” meline kaTchi
02 MEET KATCHI
Katchi
USE YOUR HANDS “THE new designs attempt to Create a harmonious balance Between the existing idea of Masculinity and femininity.” .
01 MATERIALS
Materials are SO IMPORTANT “I’m constantly thinking, drawing and talking about shoes. The more I get Exposed to footwear the more I love it.”
Selecting MATERIALS A cotton thread with a polyester core which is slightly stretchy but retains the traditional look of cotton
03 MAN SANDAL
M For the ‘Man’ SANDAL HE WANTED TO LOOK CASUAL CHIC, YET RETAIN HIS SENSE OF MASCULINITY
04 MAN SANDAL
Oh man
Walk the Walk... A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE TO WHAT THE ‘MASCULINE’ MALE PORTRAYS HIMSELF AS THE ‘MODERN MAN’. HE MAKES A BOLD STATEMENT BY WEARING THESE SANDALS AND DOESN’T REGRET IT ONE BIT.
11 HAND MADE
”MULTIDIMENSIONAL” by Sotiris Georgiou Using the principiles of fine tailoring, folding, draping, and rearranging inspired by Mr. Georgiou. The design strengths are evident in the final Man SANDAL
The entire collection was conceived after an urban observation. flexibility, security, geometry, symmetry and rhythm
05 MAN SANDAL
Spring 2012
“I had no idea that designing could be such a thrill, and M.Katchi makes it look so easy.” _Monique Adina _Independent fashion blogger
06 MAN SANDAL
Slip on & SANDAL
“The aesthetic of the line is ‘refined simplicity.’ The rich materials and color palette allow the shoe to work as a functional art piece. The
Sophisticated
Primitive man or woman is a personification of the way my partner and
I build
SOPR design language. They’re literally made on the foot, so there is never
the
a separation between
Function and design.”
08 BREATHE
Uni_sex I SANDAL These uni_sex sandals are made from a Simplified pattern which are perforated for breathability and texture
Uni_sex I SANDAL perforation allows for light and air to pass through and creates an aesthetic design.
TR
RIO Three Spike SANDAL
SOFT MATERIALS USED TO CONSTRUCT THIS SANDAL ARE PURELY REPROPOSED
10 RAW HYDE
Raw LEATHERS
By taking useful products and Exchanging them, without Reprocessing, reuse help save time, money, energy, and resources.
Trio SANDAL Re purposing is to use a tool for use as another tool, usually for a purpose unintended by the original tool-maker.
STEP
TEP Step Down TAILOR
THIS PARTICULAR DESIGN WAS CREATED RIGHT ON THE VERY FOOT OF THE MODEL. TALK ABOUT A PERFECT FIT
11 HAND MADE
Tailor MADE HAND SELECTED AND STITCHED SUEDES COMBINED W_ VACHETTA LEATHER TRIM. THE SATURATED GOLD TONED HARDWARE IS THE PERFECT COMPLIMENT.
12 HAND MADE
Selecting a unique color palette is essential when your hardware color is preselected. Here I chose to use gold toned hardware and exaggerate its Potential though these warm tones.
Ripe pomogranate
Dry sage
ruch plum
Autum orange
Classique SANDAL USING PRIMITIVE DESIGNS AS THE BASE OF THE FOUNDATION & ADDING MODERN HARDWARE FOR SOPHISTICATION
13 HAND MADE
The de_saturated hues of this sandal were complimented by a small pop of color from the robust thread tones. Although these are the classic shaped sandal they are bold in their style.
HA
HAIR Human Hair SANDAL
THE PREMISE WITH THIS SANDAL WAS TO USE A ALTERNATIVE MATERIAL WHICH IS EXTREMELY UNDER USED YET, VIABLE
13a HAND MADE
Inspiration FLORIAN DOVILLEZ HATS
Experimenting w_ 100% human hair
CAN THIS MATERIAL FUSED W_ RESIN & IRONED BECOME STRONG ENOUGH TO CREATE A SHOE WITH?
14 HAND MADE
Hair has great social significance for human beings.
So so PRIMITIVE
“Hair growth begins inside the hair follicle. The only “living” portion of the hair is found in the follicle. The hair that is visible is the hair shaft, which exhibits no biochemical activity and is considered “dead”. The base of the root is called the bulb.” Feughelman, Max Mechanical properties and structure of alpha-keratin fibres: wool, human hair and related fibres, Sydney, UNSW Press (1996) ISBN 0868403598
Hair is a filamentous biomaterial, that grows from follicles found in the dermis
15 HAND MADE
100% HUMANHAIR
Human hair was incorporated in jewelry since the late 18th century in memento mori pieces, to remember a loved one.
16 HAND MADE
Lets just say IT WORKED
Hairwork was as popular as crocheting or tatting in the late 1850’s. Victorian hairwork served not only as a memento to remember the dead, but also as “love tokens” .
TSLE
LE Exposing WHIMISICAL TASSELS Creating a uniform pattern, which can comfortably Form to the male and female foot
16b HAND MADE
Tassel TRENDS Inspired by the D.I.Y. Seasonal trend of tassel These swingy accessories are elegant and fun and full of whimsy
Lets just say ITS ON TREND
After being featured heavily on the SP 2011 runways, tassels have become a bona fide summer trend. These ornate embellishments can be found on belts & purses to blouses.
18 le INTeRvIew
le Interview
As a woman obsessed with shoes, this opportunity was a dream. getting to design my own sandals alongside one of the most creative and gracious women i’ve met to date was amazing.
over the course of a few weekends, M.Katchi, 1/2 of the genius design team behind Sophisticated primitive, and i put our creative minds together and produced two stellar and uber chic sandals.
Tassel SANDAL BEHIND THE SHOES OF MELINE KATCHI
19 CUSTOM FOR YOU
Le Interview
20 CREATING
“One of the greatest Necessities in America is to discover creative solitude.” _Carl Sandburg
Shoe OBSSESSED Hand DRAWING AND CUTTING THE PATTERN AS I AM IN THE CREATIVE PROCESS ALLOWS FOR PERFECTING THE ‘COBBLERS’ PROCESS. TESTING THE SHAPE AND CONFIGURATION OF THE CLOSURE ON THE FOOT ITSELF IS KEY IN CREATING A COHESIVE DESIGN.
立
立
The most STYLISH MAN Creating a uniform pattern, which can comfortably form to the male and female foot
22 HAND MADE
So so MSACULINE THE UPPER CREATED HERE IS HAND CUT FROM ONE PATTERN WHICH CAN BE STRETCHED OVER THE FOOT AND STRAPPED ON TO CREATE A VARYING AESTHETIC.
23 WHAT COLOR IS ME
So so Harris
BELOW ARE THE CHOICES OF COLORS WHICH THIS SINGLE ‘UPPER’ PATTERN CAN BE CUT ON AGAIN AND AGAIN.
Man SANDAL THIS IS ANOTHER VERSION OF THE UNI_SEX SANDAL WHICH IS AGAIN PUSHING THE BOUNDARIES OF’ SIMPLISTIC’ DESIGN
24 WHAT COLOR TANNING & LEATHER FINISHING
So much COLOR
COLOR HARMONY DELIVERS VISUAL INTEREST AND A SENSE OF ORDER. HARMONY IS SOMETHING THAT IS PLEASING TO THE EYE.
1810 GOETHE
25 STYLISH STEPS
“When masculine is used to describe men, it can have Degrees of Comparison—more masculine, most Masculine. The Opposite can be Expressed by terms such as unmanly. A typical nearsynonym of masculinity is virility. Roget’s II: The New Thesaurus, 3rd. ed., Houghton Mifflin, 1995.
Rich colors ONE PATTERN
Photography by Tara Minshull
Men throughout history have gone to meet exacting cultural Standards of what is considered Attractive.
26 IM HERE
Looking so SHARP
Modernity aimed towards “a progressive force promising to liberate humankind from ignorance and irrationality� (Rosenau 1992, 5).
STU
UD Uni_sex STUDDED SANDAL “Dramatic simplicity” of the day-wear of couturier
28 ME AND YOU
So so UNI_SEX
u路ni路sex_ of, designed, or suitable for both sexes; not distinguishing between male and female; Undifferentiated as to sex:
29 JUST THE 2 OF US
Uni_sex SANDAL ONE SIMPLY CUT YET PRECISE PATTERN WHICH COMPLIMENTS FEMALE/MALE
THIS PARTICULAR SANDAL WAS PURELY CONSTRUCTED FROM RE PURPOSED/ DISCARDED LEATHERS.
CRO
OC Bold & BEAUTIFUL Pairing robust leathers and colors with rustic gold to create a chic/modern look
31 STEP IN
Croc SANDAL EXOTIC SKINS JUXTAPOSED WITH A ELECTRIC BLUE SUEDE CREATE A DRAMATIC BOLD STATEMENT.
32 OH MY CROC
Croc SANDAL USING LUXURIOUS CROC JUXTAPOSED WITH A VIBRANT ELECTRIC BLUE SUEDE
Croc SANDAL BOLD AND TEXTURED USING NATURAL TONES AS WELL AS RICH/ BOLD COLORS
STU
UD Uni_sex STUDDED SANDAL Creating a uniform pattern, which can comfortably form to the male and female foot
34 PUNK BACK
Edgy UNI_SEX
Photography by Monique Adina
The aesthetic of the line is ‘refined simplicity.’ The rich materials and color palette allow the shoe to work as a functional art piece. The Sophisticated Primitive man or woman is a Personification of the way my partner and I build the SOPR design language. Our new designs attempt to create a harmonious balance between the existing idea of masculinity and femininity.
35 CREATING
So so PRIMITIVE
They’re literally made on the foot, so there is never a separation between function and design. attempt to create a harmonious balance between the existing idea of masculinity and femininity
USE
SED RE_purpused REUSED Creating a uniform pattern, which can comfortably form to the male and female foot
36 HAND MADE
“USING IRREGULAR MATERIALS FOUND IN DISCARDED BINS & HARDWARE REMOVED FROM DISCARDED HANDBAGS. HAND_CUTTING THE SKINS & HAND PAINTING EACH PIECE OF LEATHER TO CREATE A COMPLETE LOOK. THIS SHOE HAS A SIDE TIE CLOSURE ALLOWING FOR ADJUSTABILITY BASED ON THE WEARERS ANKLE SIZE.”
Re_purposed SANDAL PHOTOGRAPHY BY TARA MINSHULL
primitive YET TRENDY Concept: Take a primitive sandal design and combine it with the rich trends seen in the high street as well as ready to wear
37 classic
So so PRIMITIVE
The word sandal derives from the Greek word sandalon.
S
TEC
CH RE_purpused REUSED Fused deposition modeling (FDM) is used in traditional rapid prototyping
39b 3_d PrINTed fRee haND DRawINg befoRe CReaTINg THe Model IN 3_d IS eSSeNTIAl To THe DeSIgNeR.
Initial drawings from sketchbook MARKER. PEN. ACRYLIC. TAPE
39 3_D PRINTED
The FLOATING HEEL SolidWorks is a Parasolid-based solid modeler & utilizes a Parametric feature-based approach to create models.
Building a model in SolidWorks usually starts with a 2D sketch
40 THE MONSTER
THIS HIGH HEEL IS STACKED ABOUT 6 1/2 INCHES HIGH WITH A 2 1/2 INCH PLATFORM. THE PLATFORM HAS A FLOATING BALL INSIDE ITS STRUCTURE.
41 DoMINaTe
“ThIS Shoe waS CReaTeD aND deVeloPed oN A 3_d pRogRaM TheN laTeR pRINTeD IN STaRCh WITH A 3_d PrINTer. The fabRICaTIoN of ThIS IS aMaZINg beCaUSe IT allowS foR DeTaIleD ‘SCUlpTURal’ pRoToTYpeS foR fUNCTIoNal fooTweaR. aS IS Now IT IS ‘oNe of a KIND’.’
42 DoMINaTe
3-
-D 3_d PRINTED
The process of creating the prototype to check for sizing and General measurements.
44 3_D PRINTED 3-D printing is a phrase used to describe the process of creating three Dimensional objects from digital file using a materials printer, in a manner similar to printing images on paper.
45 3_D PRINTED
T
Covered TRANSFORMER THIS WAS A PURELY CONCEPTUAL SHOE. CREATED TO TRYCONFIGURING AN ADJUSTABILITY SYSTEM THAT WOULD ALLOW IT TO BE RESIZABLE.
THIS SHOE SAMPLE WAS MADE IN SOLIDWORKS & 3_D PRINTED IN A MATERIAL CALLED FDM. OBJECT PRINT, IS ABLE TO ACCEPT HIGHER TOLERANCES AND MAINTAINS THE PRECISION OF ITS INTENDED FORMS.
46 END OF THE ROAD
T Thank YOU SO MUCH HOPE YOU ENJOYED THE SHOW.
Sophisticated Primitive is a collaboration between designers
MELINE KATCHI & MESROP MEGRABYAN