From vertiginous heels that play around with proportions and towering platforms, to the love for snakeskin and colours with psychedelic origins, the creations of di Terry De Havilland ended up on the feet of David Bowie, Led Zeppelin and Patty Boyd. He also created the shoes worn by Tim Curry in “The Rocky Horror Picture Show”.
Born in London in 1942, Terry De Havilland first began working in the sector for his parents’ shoe company, Weaverly Shoes, which produced shoes for showgirls. His excessive and eccentric creations immediately caused a stir and a series of editorials on fashion magazines launched his career as a shoe designer. In 72, he opened The Cobbler of the World shop, which became one of the centres of glam rock fashion. In the Eighties, he created the Kamikaze brand, which was more oriented towards a punk and Goth style, with shoes covered in a mix of studs and skulls.
At the end of the Eighties, both Kamikaze and Cobbler closed, but the professional adventure of Terry De Havilland was relaunched with the opening of The Magic Shoe Company, of which Cher was a customer. In the Nineties, he opened a Goth emporium in Camden, which even saw a visit by Marilyn Manson.
He was then a visiting professor at the London College of Fashion and member of the Cordwainers Advisory Panel.
Even when Terry De Havilland went off the radar, his creations continued to have fans like Amy Winehouse, Cara Delevigne, Sienna Miller and Kate Moss.
Although fanciful and glam styles were his trademark, Terry De Havilland always gave his full attention to the shoe’s construction and a use of technical expertise. Today, his creations are considered collectibles and are part of the permanent fashion collection on show at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.