Brian Atwood’s Casual Confidence

It begins with smoke and thigh-high, lace-up stiletto boots. Candice Swanepoel props her feet atop a dresser. She lounges in a leather chair, fur coat behind her, but there is nothing casual about the look: her pulled back hair, red lips, and hungry expression. In front of her is a wall of video screens, each showcasing scantily clad models—most of who appear to be Candice herself—in a different pair of Atwood heels. There are zebra printed stilettos, fuchsia satin ankle-strap pumps and, of course, the thigh-high boots. Candice approaches the monitors, caressing the screens, aroused by her own image—a modern day Narcissus.

There is a reason that “sexy” is the adjective most frequently applied to Brian Atwood’s designs. As the shoe designer noted in a conversation with Interview Fashion Director Miguel Enamorado, “people who are sexy have confidence.” Atwood’s wonderfully ostentatious designs know how to give a girl confidence. “Slipping into a shoe, a woman should immediately go to a state of mind that conjures glamour,” Atwood explained.

Photographed by Interview favorites Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott under the creative direction of Giovanni Bianco, the above video showcases the Brian Atwood Fall 2012 collection. For more information visit www.brianatwood.com.