LONDON, Sept 14 (Reuters) - Christopher Ciccone, the younger
brother of pop star Madonna, took a rubber-soled step outside of
his famous sibling's shadow on Friday as he launched his first
shoe collection at the start of London Fashion Week.
Ciccone, 51, spun a modern twist on functional footwear,
using rubber, leather and canvas to reinvent riding boots,
Wellington boots, boat shoes, brogues and sandals, using a
mixture of bold block hues, geometric prints and strap details.
The prices of the collection range from 39 pounds to just under
300 pounds ($63-$480).
"It's the art that follows the form (that) follows the
function. I'm an artist, so everything that I create comes from
that world," Ciccone told Reuters, adding that he was inspired
by the work of Georgia O'Keeffe, Mondrian and Delacroix.
Madonna did not attend the launch, but she was there in
spirit as her latest hit song, "Girl Gone Wild," played
alongside other pop hits during Ciccone's presentation at
London's trendy Strand Gallery.
The collection itself was designed for "anybody who likes to
wear shoes, and where God made weather," but Ciccone did have
something picked out for Madonna - a pair of black leather
cowboy-inspired boots with bold cutout details that he said
"just say her name louder."
"We haven't spoken specifically about the collection itself.
We have a strictly brother-sister relationship right now,"
Ciccone said about Madonna. He added: "Obviously, I'm sure I'll
send her some shoes."
Ciccone's collection for men, women and children will be
showcased in New York, Paris and Vienna, as part of a worldwide
traveling trunk show. But he said he was keen to debut the shoes
in London.
"I've always had a real connection to this city, I just love
it here. I think the footwear connects to the city itself from
the design point of view and from the functional point of view.
I just couldn't see doing it in Paris or Milan. London has an
edgier side to it," he said.
Ciccone's sales agent, John Alston, said the collection
hoped to cater to a gap in the crowded footwear market, bringing
high quality to affordable, functional shoes.
"It's a very crowded market, but we believe it's different
enough," Alston said.
($1 = 0.6165 pound)
(Editing by Jill Serjeant and Matthew Lewis)