Vegetable-tanned and salmon leather mule, marked by the singularities of the skin, the imperfections of the hand, with red stiched piping and a pressed leather heel and a transparent red perspex sole, 2025.
Part of the ‘Surf & Turf’ artisanal collection that explores the relationship between body and object — thinking through the imperfections of handmade things and the marks we carry on our skin. Scars, textures, irregularities… all the things that make us real.
Jessup: ‘This design explores the dialogue between two forms of imperfection: the imperfection engraved in the material (this hot stamping but a visible trace of the animal’s life) and that of my hand, inscribed in the manufacturing process. Material and manufacturing reject the idea of a smooth and standardized result. By working this leather, already marked by existence, my own irregularities echo its own. Neither the material nor the process seek to smooth out these rough edges: Here imperfection is not a flaw but a language.’
By deconstructing traditional shoemaking codes, Jessup seeks to challenge established conventions by merging artisanal leatherwork and shoemaking techniques with technological tools. Her approach is eco-sensitive, placing environmental concerns at the heart of the creative process. Nature and humanity fuel her inspiration, guiding her exploration of contrasts in colours, techniques, and materials. Through shoe design she disrupts established norms, using the medium to question and redefine design, materials and manufacturing processes.
Photo’s by Richmond Lam.
