LeShopping + PoPuP

Q & A with fashion footwear mogul Steve Madden

We chat with America’s most successful shoe designer Steve Madden as he opens his first boutique in Westfield Bondi Junction.

1. How many years has Steve Madden been operating? We are excited to be celebrating our 20th Anniversary this year!

2. What was the original inspiration to start the label? I started out by designing shoes inspired by the rock and roll stars of the 1970s. Today the company has really grown into a lifestyle brand covering a vast assortment of categories. We now have shoes for women, men, and children. We’ve also branched out to handbags, sunglasses, belts, hosiery, clothing, bedding, and more. My vision has always been to give young, fashion forward women a unique way to express their individuality through style. This vision has held true throughout these past two decades.

3. What sets Steve Madden apart from other shoe labels/competitors? Point of difference etc. We don’t chase trends, we start them. What inspired me is what I see people wearing on the streets of the world from New York to London and beyond.

4. Tell us a little about the design process We are constantly turning around new designs, sometimes even twenty new shoes a week. I get my ideas from everywhere: places I’ve traveled, people I know or just ones who inspire me. The streets of New York City have always been my biggest source of inspiration for designing.

5. How many Steve Madden stores are there in the US? What plans are there to open stores in Australia? The Madden brand is sold in 46 countries. We have 84 Steve Madden stores in the US. In Australia doubling that number would be amazing!

6. Where are you stocked in Australia? We have stores located in, Doncaster Westfield, Melbourne Central, and Chapel Street in Melbourne, Bondi Westfield Sydney, Pacific Fair Queensland and Rundle Street Adelaide to begin with.

7. What has been your biggest achievement in the last 20 years? My entire life story is a continuous achievement- I started my company with $1,100 in the bank and now I have stores all over the world. Pretty amazing.

8. What is the inspiration behind the current collection/collections? This season’s focus is on metallic’s, blushes, and wooden accents. A lot of my designs also bring back styles that were hot in the 70s, like clogs and platform’s. I’m really excited about the entire collection.

9. What celebrities do you have affiliations/partnerships with in the US? One of the most fun things in my career so far has been to work with the Olsen twins on their Elizabeth & James line, as well as their Olsenboy line. Their ideas are so fresh, they’re serious, and they’re adorable too. Our newest collaboration is with Madonna for her Material Girl line. It’s going to be out of this world!

10. Tell us a little about Steve Madden music? Music has always influenced our designs since the launch of the brand. We seem to have an eye for unrealised music talent and we support artists before they hit it big. The music has become an integrated marketing platform for us within America and has seen us catapulting the likes of Lady Ga Ga and Kate Perry to stardom, Australia will follow this lead and support its young and upcoming artists.

Steve Madden steps out in style at Bondi Junction.