The craft of shoemaking has inspired many a love, fetish and obsession. Andrew McDonald shares that obsession. McDonald has hand crafted footwear for men and women since 1992, with a commitment to the art of footwear. The excellence of his craft has seen McDonald become an industry institution, commissioned by film makers and fashion designers to create unique one-offs and limited releases for the screen or runway. As the name suggests, Andrew McDonald’s RTW 2011 collection takes the most classic shapes in shoes, sandals and boots and puts his own clever twist into the mix—and off-kilter panel here, an asymmetrical detail there. Each design is a limited edition, hand made and finished using bespoke techniques in McDonald’s Sydney workshop. Unique and individual, the texture and colour is designed to mature wih age. Andrew McDonald also custom design and fit shoes made to order. Belts, bags and jewellery round out his timeless collection of leathergoods.
Leathers are sourced from sustainable farms and, from the upper to the lining, sole to the heel, Andrew McDonald employs natural vegetable tanning. Although a more expensive process, McDonald says it creates a superior result on leather. Even heel blocks are often crafted from leatherboard, a blend of recycled leather dust from grinding machines. Designs are finished without chemical solvents and using water-based glue. And because each piece is sculpted by hand, rather than industrial machinery, the environmental impact of manufacture is minimal. “Non-leather manufactured footwear is designed to last for one season then tossed into landfill, contaminating soil and run-off,” McDonald tells HowBigIsYourEco. “Good quality leather shoes are designed for 10 years or more and are biodegradable.”
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