Terry de Havilland
Jun 8, 2016 | by Becky Oeltjenbruns
The gibson platform stiletto, image: electr007
We’ve featured some fun designers in our shoe articles and it’s high time to add another talent to the mix: Terry de Havilland. Coming into the world during the final moments of WWII, Terry was born into a family of successful British cobblers – so the talent was literally in his blood. By the time most kids were just starting kindergarten, a young Terry was already a beginning apprentice to his father. The family company designed and made unique creations for elite clients, including local theatrical performers. Based on his gorgeous Gibson platform depicted here, it’s easy to see how the drama of these early commissions influenced his iconic aesthetic.
Following his schooling, Terry ventured to a location that has lured artists for centuries: Rome. In Italy he was developing his creative voice, but the outlet for this expression would be found back home. Returning to his roots and his dad’s company in the early 1960s, Terry set his fantastic shoes free onto the swinging London scene. His girlfriend (who also happened to be a popular fashion model) was spotted wearing his kicks by an influential magazine editor. This earned him a feature interview in Queen and fame rushed in at a lightening pace. His recurring appearances at the “it” clubs and immersion into counter-culture, combined with his imaginative and sky-high creations earned Terry the nickname “Rock n Roll Cobbler of the 1970s.”
Check out one of de Havilland’s most iconic platform: the Margaux wedge. Debuting in 1973, the shoe’s profile is action-packed and unmistakably modern. Fun fact, the modern aesthetic has deep vintage ties, indeed its very foundation is from the 1940s. Terry literally used some of his father’s old samples as the starting point for this design.
His father tragically died just as Terry’s high-profile career commenced. To honor his dad’s innovative work, Terry pressed on and the firm was maintaining an impressive pace of nearly fifteen trade shows per year! Around this time, he was asked to do a variety of special pieces from the shoes for Rocky Horror Picture Show to some boots for former First Lady, Jackie O.
Platform heels – image: electra 7
The 1960s and 70s was an especially productive era for the brand, but by 1980 it was defunct. Not one to run from a challenge, Terry formed a new company – one that drew inspiration from the burgeoning goth/punk movement in fashion. Kamikazi as it was known enjoyed a meteoric rise… and subsequent fall. The 1990s was a decade for regrouping and after a minor health scare, with a new love at his side, Terry opened a flagship store in London that is frequented by today’s fashion-forward consumers.
To put his influence in perspective, consider this quote (as told to Eva Wiseman of The Guardian in 2013): “When Geri Halliwell met Nelson Mandela she was wearing our red platforms.” Wow. Looking for something to further cement his legacy in our collective cultural history? How about a nomination at the 2006 British Fashion Awards for Accessory Designer of the Year, followed by a 2010 Drapers Lifetime Achievement Award for his fifty year career in shoe design. I’m not sure if any other vintage shoe designer so fittingly captured a time period while subsequently transcending it. Let me know your thoughts in the comments…