Interview With THE Shoe Designers (Part 1)

As a resident of St. Louis, MO it isn't everyday one comes across bonafide shoe designers. Especially ones who actually reside in this fair city. Nevertheless that is exactly what happened when I decided to do a little research on facebook for local shoe stores. I quickly discovered the brand KM2 shoes and was instantly smitten. Their facebook page led me to their website and I couldn't believe my eyes. Gorgeously designed, ORIGINAL pieces with a uniquely artistic flair for a fraction of the price of those high end designers. KM2 shoes is a company founded by a trio of sisters (Megan, Katelyn, and Mattison) who all share an intense passion for fashion. Fashion is in their blood, after all, with a father in the industry for 26 years and a mother who has a keen eye for what will always remain timeless and feminine. I instantly knew I wanted to learn more and I naturally wanted to share my find with you (The best readers/followers out there!) so I set up an interview. Katelyn and Mattison (Megan was in L.A. but I still managed to get a few questions answered by her via email) were kind enough to invite me out to their showroom/design space to get a peek into the latest addition to their business. Just wait until you get a load of these shoes! Here is a little teaser picture for ya.

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AGGTS: I love the story behind how KM2 came about. Would you mind elaborating, for my readers, on how this business was first created?

Katelyn: Well Megan and I were in a marketing class at UCLA with Peter Kraus (wonderful teacher by the way) and he gave us the mission, given our background and love for fashion, to create the perfect shoe. So, we went about sketching and creating and ripping shoes apart to get ideas and loved it! We called our sister Matti and said "Oh my gosh we gotta do this thing... ". We started showing people in class our designs and the response was amazing! Our teacher told us we didn't have to have everything out, just to step towards our new found dream of having a line and that we would be halfway there, so we stepped out, invested each a small amount of money and had our shoes made at a factory in Brazil! The rest is history!

AGGTS: Tell me about the design process and where you find your inspiration.

Katelyn: Well all creative credit first and foremost goes to God, He is the ultimate creator. Beyond that we do love to follow fashion and trends via runway or just the amazing style you can find on fashion blogs from all over the world, and traveling. We are mostly inspired by people I would say. Personality, personal style... We are inspired by characters... when creating a shoe we start by thinking of the girl who is wearing them... is she cultured? Is she adventurous.. is she dainty? Wild? Rock and Roll?? There are so many facets of design and so many women of style to inspire us daily. Our mom is a style icon to us:) She is beautiful and timeless. Megan is Creative Director... I am sure she has some clear cut ideas too.

Megan: We start out designing a classic and timeless base construction and have that hand made in a factory. Once we get them in we go to town designing what we would love to see on our own feet. That includes hand sewing, dying, studding... Everything added is done by hand and therefore each shoe is one of a kind and couture.

As for inspiration, it comes from everywhere. Whether it be watching an era movie and loving a character, seeing someone on the street, studying runways and trend reports, or simply getting a divinely inspired idea. There are times when I will wake up in the middle of the night and have an idea on how to design and assemble a shoe and I'm like "Thank you God"! I have to keep a notepad next to my bed. When executing a design idea on our basic construction, our shoes become a character. The thinking becomes all about where the woman will be going in the shoes or what she will be doing. Is she going to meet her Romeo in them, is she going to get the big promotion in them, is he performing on stage in them etc...

AGGTS: What makes your shoes unique?

Katelyn: Well not only are they customized which is the obvious answer, but they are also partly handcrafted. We mull over every pair that comes out of our studio, we spend hours, sometimes even days searching for the perfect pieces to go on each shoe we design... We treat every pair as a piece of art , when a customer gets a pair of KM2 shoes they know we put our heart into them. Even our employees treat the shoes with the same tender loving care.

Megan: There is such a thought out process to our shoes. We love dressing up and becoming a character. I think our shoes reflect that. Growing up in a shoe design household, there was never a time where the outfit didn't start first with the shoes. My dad always said, "As long as you have a great pair of shoes and accessories you can pull off anything." I guess that stuck.

AGGTS: What is your favorite style of KM2 shoes?

Katelyn: MY FAVORITE ARE GLITTER! I LOVE GLITTER! Oh and this new pair we made that are AMAZING. Fire engine red with radiant swarovski crystal flowers... maybe those are my favorite. I think they are, I have worn them every day this week with every type of outfit imaginable, dressy to cut offs. This is a hard question.

Megan: I think I have worn my Esthers more than any shoe in my life. They have gone from the grocery store to the Grammys.

KM2 Shoes - Esther

Stay tuned tomorrow for Part 2 of my "Interview With THE Shoe Designers". Another teaser, here are couple more designs for you to drool over enjoy.

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Seriously??? How hot are these?

A pair of custom designed bridal shoes.

I guarantee if you come back tomorrow you won't regret it. There may or may not be a special discount available exclusively for AGGTS readers towards the purchase of a pair of KM2 shoes AND a GIVEAWAY too!!!!!!