Mihai Albu
Mihai Albu (Romanian pronunciation: [mi:ˈhaj ˈalbu]; born 9 August, 1962, Bucharest, Romania) is a fashion designer and architect from Romania, known in the local media as "The Shoe Architect".[1].
He began his professional career during his university years, before the Romanian Revolution. He has appeared in various fashion magazines, including Vogue Italia, and fashion encyclopedias, such as Shoegasm. Mihai Albu was married to Iulia Albu (born Iulia Voichița), a Romanian fashion editor and stylist, between 2004-2013.
Career[edit]
Mihai Albu became known on the luxury shoes market in Romania between 1990 and 1995, which led to his being recognized internationally through his exhibitions in London and Paris. Through his extravagant creations, he managed to enter twice in the Guinness World Records with the tallest shoe items, measuring 31 cm and 37 cm[2], respectively. This has attracted the attention of major fashion publications, including Vogue Italy and Shoegasm[3], where he was featured alongside established fashion designers such as Manolo Blahnik, Christian Louboutin or Alexander McQueen.
After two decades of nationwide success, Mihai Albu began selling his products on foreign markets in Hong Kong, Japan, the United States, Spain, the United Kingdom and Dubai, although he has no physical stores outside of his country.
Shoes[edit]
Mihai Albu's collections and creations are distinguished by extravagant geometric shapes, organic elements, 11 cm stilettos and 13 or even 17 cm platforms. They are inspired by various styles and architectural movements, such as Art Nouveau, Deconstructivism, Rococo or Baroque. Famous architects such as Antoni Gaudi or Constantin Brancuși have influenced many of the works signed by Mihai Albu[4]
The artist sketches and designs luxury women's shoes, which are then hand-crafted at his personal showroom in Bucharest. The shoe production is made in small volumes and often custom-tailored. Although the brand focuses on couture style, many of the sales are made online.
Awards[edit]
Mihai Albu received numerous awards, among which the most important ones are the following:
- 2009: Romanian Fashion Awards – Best accessories designer
- 2010: World Record Academy – Tallest shoes in the world
- 2010: Romanian Fashion Awards – Excellence Award
- 2011: Romanian Fashion Awards – Excellence Award
- 2011: Gala Nova TV – Best accessories designer at „Premiile BV 01 ADE în modă și frumusețe”
- 2012: Romanian Fashion Awards – Most important Romanian accessories designer on the international market
Personal life[edit]
Mihai Albu was married to Iulia Albu, and from their marriage resulted a child, Mikaela. They divorced in 2013[5], followed by numerous controversies about their daughter's custody. Currently, the designer lives in Bucharest and continues his professional efforts as the creative director for his eponymous brand.
References[edit]
- ↑ "Former architect creates 'Skyscraper Sandals' at a height of 12 inches". World Architecture News. Retrieved 17 December 2018.
- ↑ "Romanian shoe designer creates skyscraper sandal with a 12-inch heel (31 centimeter) heel". Fox News. Retrieved 14 December 2018.
- ↑ Anthony, Clare (2012). Shoegasm: An Explosion of Cutting Edge Shoe Design. new York: Race Point Publishing. pp. 116–120. ISBN 978-1937994013. Search this book on
- ↑ "Designer creates skyscraper sandal". Mail Tribune. Retrieved 14 December 2018.
- ↑ "Iulia Albu, Milan Fashion Week. Wonderful look of the star". Manchikoni. Retrieved 14 December 2018.
External links[edit]
- Mihai Albu on Facebook
- Mihai Albu on Instagram
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