Getting to know...Fox, Fluevog & Friends: part 2

Me in front of the museum

Monday I gave you my interview with John Fluevog, the man behind Fluevog shoes. You can read my interview with him here. While I was checking out the rest of the Fox, Fluevog & Friends exhibit, I also was lucky enough to get to meet Peter Fox, who was John's partner in Fluevog for many years and was the main designer behind many of Fluevog Shoes' most beautiful designs.

designed by Peter Fox c. 1980

While John Fluevog reminded me of a surfer-hippie goes urban sophisticate, Peter Fox reminded me more of a perfectly dapper English gentleman. When we met, Peter was dressed impeccably in a dark suit jacket and even had a pocket scarf to matched his clipped London accent. His manner was gracious and kindly, and he even took the time to show me around personally to some of his more favourite designs.

The "Adult Toddler" shoe, designed by Peter Fox for Peter Fox Shoes, 1994

John and Peter first met when John was only 14 and the story of how they met is an example of how random life can be. One day long ago, Peter was offered a ride home from the local Lutheran church by a man who happened to own a Jaguar. The two men hit it off when Peter admired the Jaguar owner's walnut dashboard. In a twist of fate, the Jaguar owner turned out to be John's father and John began working for Peter first as a babysitter of Peter's children, and then later in Peter's shoe store. The rest they say, is history.

Leather tooling dies, c. 1970

Remembering what John had mentioned about saying we should always question why we do things, I asked Peter why he designed shoes. Peter paused for a long moment, repeating the question to himself out loud as he thought. "Why do you do anything?" he asked me, "if something comes to mind [then] just do it!" When I pressed him for more details, Peter elaborated that it was really all just following through with an idea. You've got to just keep working at it basically, he went on, and force your mind to approach challenges and to think beyond what you're used to. To illustrate his point in action, Peter directed me to an exhibit featuring what happened to be his favourite creation: a satin pump that he said was inspired by the stained glass windows of a church.

Stained glass style pump, designed by Peter Fox for Peter Fox Shoes, 1995

When Peter was first inspired by the light pouring through the stained glass windows, he was blocked at first because at the time there was no way to produce such a shoe. Satin was very difficult to work with and prone to fraying, so eventually he had to work with the manufacturers to design a computer program that would cut the design to his parameters. The entire process was challenging and consuming, but the end result: stunning.

Design and sketch by Peter Fox

What struck me from this story and the others that John and Peter told me about their life, was that shoe design really was an art. I gained a new perspective on how creative fashion design is and the pain-staking work and determination required to create something beautiful and functional. As well, both John and Peter gave me some life lessons on life and following your dreams, that will always stay with me: beauty is everywhere, always remember the why, and be thankful.

Henry XXVII pumps, designed by Ken Rice, 2009

Fluevog's characteristic engraved soles

You can view the Fox, Fluevog & Friends exhibit all summer long at the Museum of Vancouver! It is certainly worth a visit. I'd also like to thank Amanda, Genny, Stephen, John and Peter for their time!