Accessories Designer Zack Lo Offers All the Trimmings
Zack Lo at work in his studio. (Photos by Ken Richardson)
From the front, Zack Lo’s new platform leather pumps are all business. But give them a turn and you’ll see what makes this pair wild: Studs run the length of the shoes, which end in gilded heels featuring handcarved, shapeshifting chimeras. That’s a fitting motif for Lo, who, in addition to his edgy shoe collection, is this season producing distressed-leather handbags, bright silk scarves in arresting Mayan prints, and chunky statement jewelry.
“It was a natural progression,” Lo says. “I wanted to create options for women that I felt accompanied my shoes.”
Influenced by the ornate temples of his native Taiwan, Lo trained at the Fu-Hsin Trade and Arts School, in Taipei, before studying graphics and marketing at London’s Kingston College. When a shoe he helped design for a friend’s project earned top marks, Lo knew he’d found his true calling. He launched his brand in 2009, with a collection heavily inspired by West End parties and Carnaby Street funk.
Now Lo resides in Wakefield, where the pace of life around him is far slower than in London or Taipei. Regardless, he’s speeding up, not slowing down. This year alone, he’s planning to extend his brand into Europe and Asia, introduce a streetwear spinoff, and find a storefront for his wares in Las Vegas.
For Lo, though, true gratification is in the details. Whether it’s the bright feathers adorning a cocktail sandal or the handplaced studs on a bag or high heel, he vows, “My touch goes into each piece.”
617-945-2872, zacklo.com.
“Visage” brass and iron neckpiece, $225.
“Chevron” leather ankle boots with studs, $595.
“Visage” leather and brass cuff, $125.
“Valise” cotton and leather clutch, $250.
