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Jamie Unlu O'Grady

De Montfort University

I'm a designer trained through De Montfort University's prestigious Footwear Design Degree. I have a love/hate relationship with shoes; I love looking at them, buying new ones, and designing them. I hate the environmental and ethical damage caused by the industry and disposable nature of shoes, caused by the complex construction, low quality materials, and unnecessary trend cycles. My goal is to change the way we interact with shoes so they become more of a living object that changes with us. This results in a more meaningful relationship, bringing circularity and longevity with each design. Various internships at leading companies such as adidas, The Footsoldiers and Pentland, as well as design projects with New Balance, Dr Martens, and Bauer, have forged a pragmatic approach to design that is rooted in reality. It's important my shoes really work and benefit the wearer.

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SubTraction. Modular Footwear for the Bold.

Category: Footwear

Competitions: International

My vision is to shake the fashion industry with bold, circular design that rejects conventional thinking. SubTraction. is an imagined brand that creates purposeful, personal modular footwear that empowers the user and benefits the environment. Following Dieter Rams' 10 Principles for Good Design and his exemplary Braun products, my designs aim to be: Innovative Useful Aesthetic Understandable Unobtrusive Honest Long-lasting Thorough Environmentally-friendly Minimal Included are three functional handmade prototypes constructed with laser-cut cowhide that demonstrate disassembly/replacement features. These shoes can last a lifetime. Something breaks? Replace it with a new part. Your taste changes? Swap out the shapes, colours, and materials. Move to the top of a mountain? Put on a waterproof upper and grippy sole. As these parts are not joined to each other with glue or stitching, they can be recycled more easily or left to biodegrade individually.

In association with Arts Thread

Working with our partners at Arts Thread to develop lifelong learning and career opportunities for students of fashion and design. Our partnership provides the opportunity to compete on a world stage, participate in industry led workshops, set up an outstanding portfolio and gain access to the resources that will kickstart careers in fashion and design.