Living it up in high heel heaven
We talk to Patrick who photographs women in shoes, usually designer high heels. He takes thousands upon thousands of photos each year of beautiful women in beautiful shoes. It's a job that takes him all over the world, from top fashion cities such as New York and London, to exotic and remote locations such as the Maldives and Madagascar.
Patrick, you're living in high heel heaven.
I certainly work there. I love to photograph beautiful women, and I love beautiful shoes.
Who are your favorite shoe designers right now?
I've always loved Alexander McQueen for his kind of bold madness, his willingness to be out there. His shoes might not always be the most wearable but he's got artistic integrity. But if you're asking what women are wearing, it's got to be Louboutin. He's the flavor of the season for sure. At London Fashion Week, for example, all the women who mattered were wearing Louboutin. There were so many shoes with red Louboutin soles I lost count.
Blahnik is no longer THE shoe name?
Hah, no, not Blahnik. Manolo's days of superstardom are over. His shoes are still beautifully crafted, wonderful pieces of shoe art, but he's not the name he used to be. Louboutin is now, Blahnik was then, if you see what I mean?
Sure. Manolo Blahnik has had his heyday. I see that Sex And The City
acknowledges this. They want to feature more Louboutin and less Blahnik. What Jimmy Choo?
The Jimmy Choo shoe? Jimmy's shoes are great. Michelle Obama likes them, which has to count for something. They haven't got that sexy, wow
factor that Louboutin has, and some consider Choo just a bit, well, trashy. Americans love them. And you can't be anything in this business unless you can sell in America.
Tell us something about men's shoes. What do you wear? Who do you recommend?
I have a personal rule: never wear loafers. I recommend George Cleverley of Royal Arcade, off Bond Street in London's Mayfair. He'll make you a pair of bespoke shoes for, oh, $5000 a pair. The craftsmanship is superb. They're the best men's shoes in the world in my opinion. If your budget doesn't stretch to that, you could go with Church's or Crockett and Jones. There are many places in London's Jermyn Street where you can get a good pair of men's shoes for a few hundred dollars. Elegant, timeless shoes that will last.
Why not loafers?
Personal preference. A woman should slip into shoes, but a man should lace up his shoes. Loafers aren't manly.
Do you ever wear running shoes?
Yes, for running in.
Not for work, for everyday use?
No, that would be disrespectful to my clients and models. You can't look well-dressed in a pair of running shoes. Paul McCartney tries to get away with it, but he looks awful. Every self-respecting man should have at least one pair of good shoes. I don't mean a pair he picked up for $40 at a mall. I mean a really good pair of shoes, say $200 and upward.
You can pay $200 for some running shoes.
I'm sure you can. There's no end to the crap that money can buy. You can pay thousands to sit in a Hummer and look an idiot.
What are your favorite photography locations?
My favorite location is my studio. That's where I have total control over light, the environment, the people around me.
Not the Seychelles or some tropical island?
That stuff is overrated. You know what a pain it is to get sand in your camera, sand in your shoes, sand in the models' shoes, sand in a model's hair? Beaches are the worst place to work. Plus, you're miles from home, away from family, the food is often awful, the company isn't always great.
But those models are great to look at.
Yes they are. But it's still work.
How did you get into photographing shoes?
The thought of having a regular job always terrified me. I don't know how people do it. I'm restless, I need to be on the move. Photography is a great job for people like me. Why shoes? I love to see a beautiful woman in a beautiful pair of shoes.
Are you a bit of a shoe fetishist, or perhaps a foot festishist?
Nope, that's not me. I have met one or two, people who are really obsessed with feet. That's not me.
Do you have any favorite cities?
For work? New York, London, Paris, Berlin. Places I hate? Moscow, Los Angeles, Athens. I don't like Chicago very much. Some folks rave about Chicago, I get there and it feels, well, so provincial and conservative, buttoned-down. It's good they didn't get the Olympics. Rio is a much sexier city.
You were busy recently at London Fashion Week. What did you enjoy there?
Between gigs, between all those catwalk shows, I like to hang out, see what people are wearing on the street. There's a lot of people who're creative, inventive, artsy on a limited budget. I like approaching people, taking their picture, asking them about their clothes, their shoes. You know, there's fashion as industry, and there's fashion as art. I've always been into the art.
Do you watch Sex And The City
?
Not if I can help it. I think it's a pretty shallow show to be honest, but it's helped Manolo sell his shoes. And I guess Louboutin will be the next guy who'll see his sales rocket because of the show.
Do you blog about shoes and fashion?
No, blogging's for teenagers waiting for a proper job.
That's a harsh judgment. There are some great blogs and bloggers out there.
Come on, blogging has added to the amount of crap in the world. OK, some of it serves a purpose. But you can't compare it to Ann Wintour at Vogue, serious fashion writing, serious publishing. I don't like all this shoot-from-the-hip blogging. It's superficial. Bloggers are a pack of hounds chasing the bait. But I guess it's marginally better than the PR industry.
You don't like the PR industry?
Does anybody? Even the ones in the business would rather be doing something else.
What's your next photo assignment?
Next up, I am off to Holland to photograph a spread in Amsterdam. Models, shoes, canals, you get the picture.
Clogs?
No clogs.
Finally, what's your main wish in life right now?
To go skiing with my son in Wyoming. That's a big priority for this spring. And to stay busy and healthy so I can keep paying the bills.