So you want to be a shoe designer?
Footwear designer Mark Schwartz, a 30-year industry veteran with his own High Heeled Art collection of luxury women’s shoes, is giving would-be designers a place to hone their craft.
Schwartz is launching a design school in Italy, which begins its first session in January. The school is headquartered in Parabiago, Italy, known as a mecca for shoe factories and design centers.
According to Schwartz, classes will be held in a local factory and taught in tandem with an experienced technical designer/pattern maker.

Students will be instructed in sketching and conceptualizing, pattern making and sample making. In addition, there are visits to leather houses, heel factories and shoe accessory suppliers offering items such as buckles.
The price for the six-day course is $2,225. Hotel, airfare and meals are in addition to course tuition and include the option of attending group lunches and dinners.

For a personal approach to teaching design, Schwartz limits class size to three to five students. He emphasized the course is not limited to newcomers to the industry. Professional shoe designers as well as those in related fashion categories can also take advantage of the course work.
Registration can be done online.
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