How to make it in fashion: Singapore’s most exciting shoe designer on building his dream career
- Young Singaporean footwear designer Firdaos Pidau interned at Charlotte Olympia and Zara before landing at Charles & Keith
- He says working for a luxury brand was an eye-opening experience but he enjoys the pure objective design of high street fashion without the snobbishness
Malaysia may lay claim to the legendary Jimmy Choo but perhaps in the future, Singapore might also have a shoe maestro to call its own.
Up-and-coming designer Firdaos Pidau has been turning heads in the world of footwear design ever since he was a scholarship student on a prestigious Cordwainers course at the London College of Fashion.
In 2015, Pidau, then a first-year student, edged out older and more experienced applicants to snag the inaugural scholarship offered by shoe designer Charlotte Olympia. The coveted award from the “It brand” of the time funded the three years he had left on his bachelor’s course in footwear, which focused on product design and innovation. It also gave him the opportunity to embark on a year’s paid internship with the label, offering him invaluable insights into the world of luxury shoemaking.
He shares the lessons he has learned about what it takes to become a fashion designer.
