Prominent footprint on Kolding shoe designers

- The more our students learn about the industry, the smoother their transition into the job market will be.

Head of Textile Design at Design School Kolding sums up five intense weeks where 40 students have been attending a masterclass by D’Wayne Edwards from the prominent American shoe design academy, PENSOLE. D’Wayne Edwards holds a convincing collection of trophies including several years as Chief Designer for Nike’s Jordan brand.

The main focus areas of the class have been sketching and prototyping. The students have worked in teams of four and worked with product development like they do in the industry:

- The students have learned a professional approach to shoe design. First and foremost they needed to understand that the shoes they design must be worn by ordinary people, says D’Wayne Edwards, who emphasizes that he will take a great deal of inspiration from the students back to Oregon.

A unique opportunity
The collaboration agreement with PENSOLE is unique since PENSOLE does not usually work with anyone outside the USA. What enabled it is Design School Kolding’s partnership agreement with ECCO, which has currently been running for five years. A partnership that focuses on cultivating the talent of tomorrow’s shoe designers and generating knowledge about materials, formgiving and how to construct shoes.

Helle Graabæk is responsible for the ECCO-PENSOLE collaboration and very pleased with the close ties to the industry and how the PENSOLE masterclass enables students to walk in the footsteps of a great shoe designer:

- The students come from Industrial Design, Fashion Design and Textile Design. Shoe design has been part of our curriculum ever since ECCO became a collaboration partner. And the masterclass is a real eye-opener that makes the students realise the career potential of becoming a shoe designer. Being able to invite PENSOLE provides our students with a range of new possibilities internationally and at home.