An Interview with Cali & Cale's designer Amy Castle

Campaign: Cali & Cale 2012. (You can view my collaboration with Cali & Cale shoes here)

I was fortunate to interview the lovely Amy Castle from Cali & Cale, an Australian brand whose leather sandals take feet from the city to the beach in impeccable beautiful and bold style.

Can you tell us a little about yourself and Cali & Cale?

I studied a degree in Footwear at Cordwainers College in East London which is part of the London College of Fashion. The East End was a vibrant and creative place to live and study. At the college I spent years learning every part of the shoe-making process.
In 2010 I moved to Australia for love and adventure; a lot has happened in a few years. Australia is an exciting place to be creatively as it is still evolving with such a unique voice. 
In Australia I was finding it difficult to find a decent pair of sandals made from leather that was interesting and fashionable while simultaneously simple and stylish. Cali and Cale sandals are pure understated style, simple contemporary design combined with artisan techniques. 

How you first got involved with designing for your label?

By being inspired, passionate and meeting the right people.

What inspires you?

Cali and Cale came from a little name book my parents had; Cali from Greek meaning ‘beautiful’ and Cale from English meaning ‘bold’. The two names are similar but different, masculine and feminine – a contrast that creates balance.
I am always inspired by contrasts and they often make for the most exciting design. I'm quite a curious person and will collect things and images - it could be a photo, the colour of someones jumper or even a piece of rope! 

Name some of the designers/labels whom you look up to and why?

Phoebe Philo at Celine continues to impress and inspire me with clean lines, graphic shapes and the artful use of leather throughout her collections. I am also quite a fan of Marni and I love their latest resort collection. This is the label from which I bought my first pair of designer shoes.
In Australia Gary Bigeni is an inspirational designer - creating collections that are desirable  and exciting with a hint of eccentricity. I love the bold use of colour and shape to create beautiful garments that are true modern Australian style.

You can view my post on Cali and Cale's shoes here.

Thank you Amy Castle and Undergroup Showroom for making this interview possible!