Joanne Stoker

London-based footwear designer Joanne Stoker has just one thing in mind: “To create beautiful and conceptual shoes, stepping out to astound and delight.”

Stoker came to footwear after stints in textiles – her first degree was in textile design – and model making, and you can see how the two led to footwear. She says: “I love constructing shoes, watching all the components come together.”

An award-winning MA graduate in footwear from London College of Fashion’s Cordwainers in 2009, Stoker has won the First Into Fashion Award headed by Jimmy Choo and fashion editor at large Melanie Rickey, and the Footwear Friends Award, sponsored by the British Footwear Association, as well as being a finalist in the ITS International Competition in Italy. She was mentored at Jimmy Choo before establishing her own label in 2010, and is now stocked in Selfridges.

Stoker dreams of being a household name. “I would love to walk down the street and see people wearing my shoes. It makes me happy when people buy my shoes and email me with thanks, especially when it’s for their wedding,” she says.

So how did she go about launching her own brand? “You really have to be passionate about what you want to do and be prepared to work hard. Sometimes you might feel like you’re not getting anywhere, then one morning you wake up and it all starts to come together.”

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