Interview with accessory designer Shani Bar
Before starting to create footwear, Shani Bar studied photography and graphics in Tel Aviv and then accessory design at the renowned Bezalel Academy of Art and Design in Jerusalem. It was there she acquired a passion for tri-dimensionality. 
‘The philosophy behind my label is simple’, says Shani. ‘A shoe has to satisfy the highest design requirements and provide the greatest possible wearing comfort.’ Shani basically targets a feminine effect. High heels with unusual silhouettes are a firm component of her design and are almost used like a signature, however only seldom exceed the comfortable height of six centimeters.
Shani Bar opened the first own store in Tel Aviv in 2006 and the second one in 2010. In summer 2010 the label entered the European market, now planned for long term and accompanied by a Spanish production. After three successful seasons, ShaniBar is supplying selected stores in Switzerland, Belgium and Germany. Berlin is the place of Shani Bar’s third own mono-brand-store, which opened in October 2011 at Torstrasse 62, the new hipster mile of Berlin-Mitte. The shop desin closely follows Shani’s basic design concept: clear lines meet ironic lightness and playful details with retro influences. Find her stores here.
Very interested in Shani’s work since we discovered her work in 2009, we asked her to answer some questions:
When did you first became interested in accessory/shoe design?
When I was a student I did try to take a lot of different courses in different subjects. Shoe design was the last one, but it was love at first sight.
Why accessory design instead of fashion?
I like three-dimensional objects. Shoe design is like sculpting, you create your own forms and shapes.
Which people have influenced your work most?
I don’t think that people have influenced my work. Influential is rather the research that I am doing and the exploration of the subjects which interest me.
What inspires you?
Everyday life, interesting items, shapes, colors, and nature in particular.
You studied graphic design as well as artistic photography before you became a shoe designer, does that still influences your designs?
I think it does. Some of my designs are influenced by graphic lines and shapes. I think that any designer should open himself for other fields, it contributes to creativity.
Do you still make the more conceptual items that you made for art exhibitions some years ago next to your collections?
Yes, whenever I have the time I like to design more conceptual items for exhibitions and shows.
Do you know the people who wear your shoes?
Yes, I know some of them. My studio is close to one of my stores and I visit it very often.
What skills do you need to be a shoe designer?
A good technique and a lot of imagination.
What shoe of any other designer would you have wanted to have made yourself?
Maybe some of Alexander McQueen’s shoes. I appreciate his work very much.
Do you always work alone or are there also cooperations with other (fashion) designers?
My collections are very personal. I usually work alone on one or more subjects which interest me for a certain season.
What do you hope to achieve with the label Shani Bar?
I want this label to grow and to stay an interesting and creative brand, that combines fashion and a unique design with my personal handwriting.
Where do you see yourself in the future, in about 5 years time?
I want to continue doing what I like to do the most: shoe design. And I would like to have more brand stores around the world.
More ShaniBar shoes in the Virtual Shoe Museum.
