Q&A: 5 minutes with Brian Atwood

Like Helen of Troy and those ships, model-turned-designer Brian Atwood’s (brianatwood.com) handsomeness alone could move shoe units at The Room. Yet his super-stylish stilettos sell themselves. Thankfully, there’s now more Atwood than ever to go around, with last year’s launch of a second line, B Brian Atwood, and a haute handbag collection.

Who is the Brian Atwood woman?
“Always the most beautiful, sexy woman in the room. I’m not tooting my own horn. That’s just how it happens to go. [The heels] make you feel that—the power of the shoe.”

Is your B Brian Atwood woman any different?
“The B girl is jetset, but she’s funkier, more urban, and there’s ease to it. She doesn’t have $800 for a pump, but why shouldn’t she have a sexy pump?”

What inspires your collections from season to season?
“It’s never a throwaway trend, which is important because these shoes are art.”

Your eponymous line celebrated a decade in business. What has 10 years taught you?
“A lot about business: what to do, what not to do, staying on your course and never compromising what you believe in.”

Tell us about the handbags.
“The Room is the only place in Canada carrying them, and the only one doing made-to-order, so clients can get their shoes and bags matching. It’s very chic. I still love that. The women in Toronto are very competitive, and I’m sure the women here are the same. They want it now, and I think if they could have it a special way, they would.”

What else is new?
“I started in ready-to-wear and I love it. I’ll definitely get back into that soon.”

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