“Will it. Believe it. Do it. Now.”, Zack Lo
Noblivity Spotlights Emerging Designer Zack Lo
Company/Designer Name: Zack Lo Shoes / Zack Lo
How did you get started? I have a Fine Arts and Graphic Design background, but have always had a passion for shoes. About five years ago, I started designing with a friend of mine in London, whose family owned a shoe manufacturing business in Taiwan. At the same time, I learned the craft of handmade shoes. The Voodoo Circus is my first collection.
What inspires your designs? I am inspired by vintage styles and by past luxuries–and the lasting imprint they make, but at the same time I have a deep attraction for what seems new. I am equally attracted to Old Hollywood Glamour as much as by Japanese anime. For me, I am inspired by what I perceive as beautiful, and that is always a visceral reaction. So I design what makes me feel happy and connected to world around me.
How would you describe your design style, design signatures and who is your targeted customer? I think that my designs are extroverted, but yet reflect elegance and sophistication. My design style at the moment is really about mixed mediums–combing many different colors, textures and materials in ways that seem dynamic and feminine to me. I design shoes that I hope are viewed as fashion in the truest sense, and not just accessories to apparel. I design for a woman who has no fear in expressing who she is–a woman who makes deliberate fashion choices that speak about who she is, rather than follow obvious trends.
What designers inspire you? Elbaz for Lanvin. Also, I saw recently the Iris Apfel exhibit at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, MA, “Rare Bird of Fashion,” from her personal collection. Genius and theatrical style unfettered by any convention!
What obstacles did you have to overcome? Shyness, especially in public speaking. I much prefer to express myself in my work and in my art.
How did you overcome them? I am still in the process of resolving! And I try to smile a lot.
What has been your greatest moment on your journey so far? I am really most happy when thinking about future creations–about growing personally as a designer and staying true to my vision. Rather than think about what I have done, I want to always consider what I will yet do. And of course, I get inspired by women asking me what my next collection will look like.
What has been the biggest change in your designs so far? Listening to what women want and the endless ways they think about fashion. I learned that many women want choices that reflect how and what they feel–one day a princess, the next day a president. I have started to design with this in mind–that is why each shoe in my collection has an individual personality–like characters in a play.
If money were no object what would you do right now? Catch up on my sleep! And then I would seek out more opportunities to collaborate on projects with all types of other designers–I really enjoy the energy and community of creating this way.
What are the best and worst things about being a designer? The best is being fully engaged in a project from vision to creation to production. And of course feeling elated when people respond well to my work. This creates value for me–the sharing of happiness and expression. The worst I think, is making compromises along the way that affect the end result in a challenging way.
Describe your typical day? I generally go to sleep late–since I prefer to do my design work at night, when the energy and excitement of the day is still reverberating in the city. I typically answer emails and return calls in the morning, have lunch with associates or meet socially with friends in the afternoon, and then get to work when most people are finishing their day.
What’s your philosophy of life? “Will it. Believe it. Do it. Now.”
If you could do it all over again, what would you do differently? That is a really difficult question, since I feel like I am still at the beginning. I would like to answer this again in twenty years, and I hope that will be able to do so without any regrets.
When will you know you have made it? When I never stop to think to about what I have achieved! I want to be looking forward and having wonderful people always around me looking ahead in the same direction.
Zack Lo is an incredible talent! The way women look at his shoes is hot! The colors and patterns he brings nto play make each pair of shoes unique. Voodoo Circus looks like something you’d see in an episode of “Sex and the City” Now the only question is, “When will Zack Lo come out with a men’swear line of killer shoes??????” I can’t wait to see more women in these fine shoes.
You are a genius!!
Must Have Shoes! Fanciful, Fun, Fury & Feathery. Hot Heel Hits for Her! Him: ZACK LO, Designer Extraordinaire! Women Want Wonderful Shoes!
ZACK LO’s VOODOO CIRCUS line will have YOU getting in line to get a pair– or two! Get stung by the Bumble Zoo!
These aren’t Dorothy’s Ruby-Reds, but when you click your heels in a pair of ZACK LO’s you’ll be in the land of OZ–OZSOME!
ZACK LO, HIGH-END HEELS for HEADY GOOD TIMES!
Voodoo Circus, Zack Lo’s high fashion shoe line for women, is FASHION at the EDGE! So jump-off, take the plunge and get a pair! Zoom around the night scene in a pair of Bumble zoos! Hop into a pair of Velvet Pony Rides for some giddy-up glamor! Try on some Black Magic and see what alchemy occurs! Crack the whip in a pair of RingMasters and let the circus begin! Zack Lo designs- a must for every diva!
I must have that shoe!! This is what I thought when I saw Zack Lo’s artistry in the most recent Glamour magazine. I like the vision that Zack Lo represents, which to me is fun and glamor and elegance all rolled into one. I would buy his shoes in a heartbeat!
Zack Lo shoe designs and the Voodoo Circus line are the BOMB! Lindsay Lohan, Lady Gaga, Jennifer Lopez, RuPaul et al. are bound to be strapped into them soon! With faux fur & snake skin, a touch of nostalgia, & now-chic these are hip heels for today’s woman in the fashion know! Boston Monty says, “You don’t just wear Zack Lo shoes as a fashion accessory, his high heeled footwear is what you build your look around! Check out the Voodoo Circus/Zack Lo spread in the April GLAMOR magazine.
It is so refreshing to hear a designer that “gets” women. We have the ability to change daily with our moods or looks, and to have shoes that take us whichever way in style and comfort is amazing. We love Zack Lo shoes!
Well done! Zack Lo. All the best
We love you.