Driven by our purpose of inspiring strength to shine through, Stuart Weitzman is proud to announce our new educational partnership with the College for Creative Studies, an art and design college based in Detroit, Michigan. Designed to empower the next generation of great shoe designers, the partnership features a semester-long course for Juniors and Seniors to design their own shoe collection and prepare two prototypes. Stuart Weitzman design team members, helmed by Global Head of Design Edmundo Castillo, offered feedback at key points throughout the term.
“I find inspiration when someone inspires me to think differently or to think about something in a different way,” Edmundo says of working with the students. “There’s nothing more exciting than to talk to students who have big dreams and new ideas.”
The first course took place during the Fall 2021 semester as a seminar featuring 11 students.
For the midterm on November 9, 2021, Edmundo, along with Designer Casper Werner and SVP, Global Head of Human Resources Jen Houck, visited the students in Detroit to share their feedback while the students worked on their final collection.
“When I went to the school to view the prototypes, I was able to see a very raw part of the process that could turn into anything,” says Edmundo. “My biggest interest was to give the right type of criticism and advice for them to achieve what they wanted to achieve creatively."
Several weeks later, on December 16, 2021, students and faculty made their way to the Stuart Weitzman headquarters at Hudson Yards in New York City to share their final presentations to a group of brand leaders, including Edmundo, CEO & Brand President Giorgio Sarné, VP, Global Communications Jackie Seaman and more.
“I was inspired by the love that they see in making shoes, in thinking about shoes, in looking at the details and in the questions they asked,” says Giorgio. “I remember when I was young, I was always thinking, ‘is this the right question?’ I believe there is no right question, just ask the question.”
Adds Edmundo, “They took our advice and turned into something really, really great.”
See more from the partnership on Instagram @stuartweitzman.
Photos courtesy of Amber Zundel