Juan pozo - DenHolm GAZZETTE

A TERRIBLY INTERESTING

YARN WITH JUAN

Luxury sneaker designer JUAN

POZO has trailblazed an industry via his

work w/ PRADA RAFSIMONS/

Calvin Klein 205W39NYC. We chat

about his Mum’s favourite colour, hip-hop,

avoiding guilt of course shoes.

PRADA COLLISION CROSS

You have certainly left your footprint at Calvin Klein and Prada. Was it always your objective to trailblaze luxury footwear?

I always wanted to be a shoe designer, I’ve worked really hard and sacrificed a lot for this dream. I feel lucky to have made a mark in the legacies of some of the most prestigious brands in the world. What first set the flame of footwear alight? Football and hip hop. I grew up playing football and I always obsessed over cleats, some of my favorite shoe designs are football boots. Hip hop was always a big part of my life too and sneakers are obviously a massive part of the culture

Describe the feeling of wearing your own designer shoes for the first time. It’s surreal to see something that came from my brain developed and brought to life, and when you consider all of the other people who also worked hard to achieve it it feels really special. It feels great to wear new sneakers in general and when you designed them it’s 100 times nicer.

Which shoes have given you the most…

Mileage? My first Calvin Klein sneakers have been all around the world with me multiple times.

Complements? Prada Collision Cross, because they are SLEEK af.

Pleasure? Calvin Klein Strike 205. It’s the hardest I’ve ever worked and getting the samples finished for the showroom was a huge accomplishment.

Yes, the Strike 205- Was there a physical reference that influenced this shoe? I was just in a maximalism type of vibe at the time, just overlapping panels and materials, having fun.

Calvin Klein 205W39NYC STRIKE 205

When did you first find your voice and momentum within the industry?

I worked my way up at Calvin Klein, under Raf, I was promoted multiple times and learned from some amazing people who I consider mentors. I’ve always been confident in my work, so seeing positive results and getting more responsibilities over the years is really validating.

Raf Simons is surely one of the great designers/ creative directors of our era. How was that experience working with him at Calvin Klein 205W39NYC? All positive. Being a part of that time and that moment felt really special. I really miss being a part of that team and being in New York City, but now I have the whole world at my fingertips and I owe a lot to being a part of that.

Were you prepared for the shuttering of 205W39NYC? It really felt as though Raf was building towards the creation of a brand that would last decades. How did you feel as an insider? I think we all felt like we were a part of something really special and the products and stories we were creating were really beautiful. It was all pretty sudden and a shock to a lot of us. Silver lining: it forced me to pivot and persevere, and get my foot in the door in Europe.

You certainly kicked the door in there. Your work at Prada has been inspiring. I’m interested where the initial concepts for your designs come from. In some of your work the reference is obvious, almost obtuse- ie the baseball cap snap back of your Calvin Klein 205W39NYC Carla’s- others feel more, personal? Is there anything from your childhood/upbringing which still informs your creative practice?
My parents have always been the most supportive and are both creative people in their own right. Pops is a tinkerer and can fix anything, mom is a super crafty decorator and makes jewelry. I’ve always liked problem solving and figuring out how to build things, I’m very interested in DIY projects, and I can see that coming through in how approach my work.

If you could turn a shoe into a car, what shoe would it be? Nike Mercurial R9 from 1998

If you could turn a car into a shoe, what car would it be? First thing that comes to mind is like some Mercedes G-Wagon boots. AMG/ACG, blacked out.

Hypothetical—you are designing a shoe for your mother, what colour would they be/ why? Purple because I believe it’s her favorite color and her name is a purple flower.

THIS QUESTION GETS ASKED TOO MUCH BUT I’m asking anyway. How does it feel when you see people in media or in public wearing your designs?

It’s great. I’m grateful for the looks I get when stylists choose items for celebs, but seeing it in the wild is more special because it actually means something to that person who went to the store or ordered them online. I always feel like chatting with folks but I stay quiet.

Enough about shoes, one familiar thing you look for when traveling? I can’t live without a cold drink so I’ll say ice cubes. That and a good place for cocktails

What game show do you think you could win? Maybe something like cash cab with pop culture based questions. I retain a lot of useless info like that.

One more shoe question before we go—what shoes are you wearing today? I’ve been traveling lately so I only have a few things with me at the moment. I’m wearing some vintage GATs I got in Paris. and Uniqlo socks.