Boston Common - Niche Media - A side of Boston that's anything but common.
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The Higher, the Better When Lady GaGa and Katy Perry are LooKinG for shoWstoPPinG shoes, they caLL neWton native Thom Solo. by meaghan agnew photography by joel benjamin It's safe to say that Thom Solo has zero fear of heights. The designing wunder- kind has made a national name for himself by crafting towering sculptural heels that defy the laws of shoe gravity—and have won the loyalty of fellow boundary-pushers like Lady Gaga. Of his pencha nt for k iller k icks, t he New ton-bor n desig ner says w it h a laugh, "I feel like it was always kind of ing rained." Solo remembers obsess- ing over jellies at the too-tender age of 2 —so much so that on a t rip to Italy, he convinced his mother to lug him around on her back all day while they hunted down the perfect pair. As a student at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Solo had a eureka moment during a mold-making class, which "opened up endless possibilit ies for ava nt -ga rde shoes," he says. W hile st ill a freshma n, Solo launched his f irst capsule collection, Specimen, which turned the drama up to 11 with f loral-adorned platform boots and pumps sporting eight -inch heels. West Coa st a nd inter nat iona l client s immediately began requesting custom pairs. "I get so ma ny compliment s a nd com ment s on his shoes, just because t hey're unique," says phila nt hropic adv isor Julia Owens, a f r iend a nd ea rly fa n, who now serves as Solo's business manager as well as his informal Boston a mba ssador. "I n Boston you a lways see t he sa me old sa me old, but t hese rea lly st a nd out a s being wea rable a r t." As for how Gaga came knocking, credit Solo's social- media sav v y: On Inst ag ra m he st a r ted follow ing t he a ssist a nt of her st ylist , Bra ndon Ma x well, a nd w it hin hours he received an e-mail requesting samples. But it's his latest collection, Conte des Fées, that might be Solo's tipping point. Named after the French term for "fa ir y t a le," t he collect ion draws inspirat ion f rom a mash-up of childhood myths. Think Maleficent crossed with The Last Unicorn: thigh-high leather boots with uni- cor n heels, or white sna kesk in boot ies w it h a cr yst a l base. The designer has also upped the accessibility this time by bringing his heel heights down to a slightly more manageable five inches. "I'd like to say this is more chic for the ever yday woman who still appreciates a little bit more," says Solo, who a ims to have t he collect ion in Barneys and R iccardi this fall. A lt hough technica lly bet ween collect ions, t he self- described "daydreamer" says he is constantly sketching a nd scheming late into t he night , concoct ing new ways to test our footwear limits. "It's a blessing and a curse to be a creative person," he says. "You can never shut it off." T hat 's somet hing for which t he cit y's shoe junk ies a re increasingly grateful. thomsolo.com BC INSIGHT: Design iDol: Alexander McQueen. "There will never be another McQueen. He really understood the point of creating an experience." Major life MoMent: Meeting McQueen while working at Marc Jacobs in Provincetown. "I just froze," says Solo, who recovered in time to thank him for "everything you do." This 24-year-old footwear visionary has always aimed high: As a college undergraduate, Thom Solo considered becoming a couture photographer or a magazine creative director. Boston fashion: "It's defnitely improving. We've got some really great edgy dressers." insiDer shopping: "I have a wonderful shopper at Barneys who calls to tell me when the sales are coming." first-ever shoe splurge: "My mother always spoiled me with amazing shoes. But it was a pair of Christian Louboutins." 70 bostoncommon-magazine.com PEOPLE Talent Patrol