MILAN — Paul Andrew is expanding his label by debuting handbag styles for spring 2027.
The veteran shoe designer offered a preview of the collection on the set of the latest campaign here, before the range will officially be presented to international buyers and press in New York from Monday to Thursday and back in Milan from May 25 to June 5.
Andrew said the category expansion comes at a positive moment for the brand, which he established in 2013 and relaunched in 2022. “The shoe business is really growing for us in an interesting way,” he said. Mentioning the competitive luxury footwear sector and overall complex retail conditions, he underscored that “somehow it’s good to be small and agile in this moment; we have managed to work our way around.”
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Shifting the core of distribution from department stores to specialty stores proved to be especially fruitful in the U.S. It also offers a privileged viewpoint on consumers’ demands, providing evidence that there’s still appetite for footwear styles that stand out. Sales reported at retailers the likes of The Conservatory, Gwynn’s and Uffizi show that “people want something really special.”
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Cue styles with Murano glass heels that were part of his fall 2025 collection and that quickly sold out.
“This is a $2,000 shoe, it’s not nothing. And there was even a woman who came a bit later and her size was gone and she took a size lower and had it stretched in order to have it, because they’re also made in limited-edition so there was also a reason to [buy them],” said Andrew. “And I had a lot of women asking: ‘Do you have a bag in the same color that goes with it?’ So I thought this could be a time to investigate into that [aspect].”
His previous experiences working at Ferragamo from 2016 to 2021 and Sergio Rossi, which he joined in 2024 and exited earlier this year, came in handy. “I loved doing bags so much,” he said. “Also I really wanted to be an architect. There’s architecture in a shoe, but the structure of a bag is really like an edifice.”
His passion for art informed his approach to the category. Already used to evoking the work of the likes of Jean Arp and Constantin Brâncusi in his footwear offering, which is rich in sculptural and curvaceous heels, this time Andrew was inspired by the metalwork of American furniture designer Paul Evans to develop faceted hardware for spring 2027.
Molded and galvanized in an Italian sports car factory, the sculptural shape not only appears as arty heels on slingback silhouettes or on the front of pointy flats, but become the central focus of the bags, infusing aesthetic coherence between the two categories under a range dubbed “The Prism.”
The shape popped as the magnetic clasp on a soft leather bag in two different sizes, and is additionally available in calfskin with an embossed snake pattern. A more structured design was crafted from ostrich leather instead, while capacious tote bags replete with internal pouches come in leather or more summery canvas and raffia options.
“I designed them in a way so you can hand-hold the bag, but also [put them on your shoulder] even with a coat, even in its baby [-sized] version,” said Andrew. “I want you to be able to carry it around the city, so it’s really thinking about form and function — which was really Paul Evans’ idea with his furniture, too.”
The designer was mindful of the pricing as well, as he said he wanted to keep his handbag offering at less than $1,000.
He’s looking to apply the same approach to the footwear collection. Despite finding out that there’s no pushback on prices for his most special styles, Andrew is planning to further increase the competitiveness of the brand with a broader price structure. This translates into stretching the range to more everyday flats, chic loafers and woven raffia wedges to flank the more elevated silhouettes.
Standouts of the collection span from a round-toed hand-embroidered macramé style bonded with mesh to a lightweight wedged thong sandal ideal for day-to-night occasions. Andrew also brought back his Rhea style tweaked in proportions upon the request of his consumers, especially those in Japan, which along with South Korea and the U.S. is among the best performing markets for the brand.
Andrew will consolidate his presence in Europe via a collaboration with Cuoio di Toscana, the Tuscany-based leading player in leather. In addition to women’s styles, the tie-up will mark his brand’s entry into men’s footwear. Designs will include male counterparts of existing silhouettes, such as ruched loafers in supple leather outlined by a silver zipper detailing.
The collaboration will roll out through a series of events, the first being an activation at the Hotel Byron in the luxury resort destination of Forte dei Marmi on June 6 and 7. This will be followed by a takeover at the St. Regis Hotel in Florence during Pitti Uomo 10 days later, before landing in Milan with an event during fashion week in September.
Andrew’s link with Tuscany will be reinforced also via his work as mentor to emerging talents. In addition to partnering again with the Florentine outpost of Istituto Marangoni for the new academic year, he will launch with the school the Paul Andrew Scholarship Program through a contest named “New attitude: redefining luxury for a new generation.” This is dedicated to fashion design courses starting in October, with applications open through June 29.
“I’ve worked with them in the past and it’s such an amazing school. I’ve hired three people from that school since then, that’s how good they are. So I’m thrilled to be back in a more official way doing this,” said Andrew.