Even if you don't recognise the name Michael Lewis, chances are you'll recognise a pair of Michael Lewis shoes: decadent, feminine and colourful, each pair bears a strong handwriting. We quite frankly can't blame Tom Ford - the man who wrote the book on building a successful fashion brand - for snapping up the award-winning shoe designer to consult on his spring/summer 2011 debut womenswear collection.
"When he selected me I was overwhelmed - it was a surreal moment," admits Lewis, who knows Ford from his infamous Gucci days. "It was great working behind the scenes with him at Gucci, but to be approached and brought on in my own right was amazing."
But what of the details? Will they be sky-scraping-ly high? Will they sparkle? Will they make grown men want to drop to their knees and lick them on the spot? Lewis is, apologetically, reticent to spill.
"As you can imagine, the launch of Tom's collection in September is going to be one of the most exciting in years, so I have to stay tight-lipped," he explains, before conceding, "however, I have been keen to incorporate some of my own style into Tom's design ethos."
Expect, then, a match made in super-hot footwear heaven. Trained at the ever-prominent Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in London - his interest in designing shoes piqued "because architecture was too big" - Lewis has been quietly on the scene for over 12 years, designing shoes for everyone from Gucci to Jean Charles de Castelbajac.
Having decided to step out of the shadows in 2009 and launch his own-name line, Lewis was promptly championed by the British Fashion Council's Sarah Mower and went on to secure its elusive NEWGEN sponsorship to show his collection at London Fashion Week. Elle Macpherson is a huge fan and he's already stocked in some of the world's most prestigious boutiques (Harvey Nichols, Dover Street Market and Paris' L'Eclaireur among them). As well as the Tom Ford gig, he also consults for Loewe, Jaeger and Versace Men's.
It's a near-unbelieveable rise. When asked what his dream for the business is, however, Lewis is surprisingly parochial, confessing it to be "a stand alone store which would work with my design philosophy".
A designer who just can't get enough of design? No wonder Tom Ford knew he was onto a winner with this one.
