French shoe designer Jean-Michel Cazabat, whose footwear features in the series Emily in Paris, has launched a new line of woven shoes. The French artisan returned to Paris two years ago to launch his namesake label after spending decades crafting footwear for international celebrities in New York.
His latest creation consists of a range of woven shoes developed for the accessory brand Dragon Diffusion. The collection includes around 20 models produced in Italy, with the upper sections hand embroidered in India. The shoes will be presented at the Who's Next trade show in Paris from September 5 to 7 ahead of Paris Fashion Week.
Cazabat's footwear has drawn a high-profile celebrity clientele without relying on a traditional storefront. Beyond dressing lead actresses Lily Collins and Ashley Park in the hit Netflix series Emily in Paris, his shoes have been worn by French television presenter Daphné Bürki, singer Shy'm, and contestants on the show Drag Race France, the French adaptation of the international drag competition franchise.
The designer maintains close personal ties with actor Lucien Laviscount, who plays Alfie in Emily in Paris. Cazabat noted that he rarely speaks about their friendship in public because he worries people will assume he is exaggerating. Until recently, Cazabat maintained his creative workshops near Parc Monceau in Paris and previously operated a dedicated sales corner at the Printemps Haussmann department store on Boulevard Haussmann.
Recognition in Southwestern France
On Tuesday, August 25, Cazabat visited his native region in southwestern France, stopping at the Isidora fashion school managed by Sophie Mateos in Tarbes. During the visit, local textile enterprise Py-Tex presented him with an award of excellence honoring his career in fashion.
Reflecting on his upbringing in Bordères-sur-l'Échez, near Tarbes in the Hautes-Pyrénées department, Cazabat recalled making his earliest shoe sales at the Lacabanne store in Tarbes. He remembered sporting long hair styled like a Beatnik and buying scissors at a local Prisunic discount store to trim it himself.
Cazabat remarked with a smile that coming from southwestern France was not viewed as a professional asset when he began his career, joking that acclaimed French rugby national team captain Antoine Dupont did not exist back then to bring prestige to the region.
Early Passions and New York Career
Growing up in the Pyrenean region, Cazabat developed three core passions as a child: rock music, photography, and footwear. A lifelong fan of the late French rock star Johnny Hallyday, Cazabat attended Hallyday's 1971 concert in Tarbes and still wears a rocker style featuring black leather clothing and silver rings. Photography served as his first job and acted as a stepping stone into fashion, while shoemaking became his vocation for more than 30 years.
After rising through the fashion industry, Cazabat spent most of his career in New York City, where he initially served as artistic director for luxury footwear brand Stéphane Kélian before establishing his own label. In the United States, his high-end shoes were acquired by stars including Madonna, Sarah Jessica Parker, Jennifer Lopez, Lenny Kravitz, Mickey Rourke, Miley Cyrus, Mylène Farmer, Taylor Swift, and members of the Kardashian family.
In 2024, the designer moved back to France to launch a pop-focused line under his Cazabat brand. The collection premiered during Paris Fashion Week with approximately 20 Italian-made models priced between 600 and 1,200 euros.
Future Plans and Continued Work
Now 67 years old, Cazabat said he does not miss living in New York. While feeling nostalgic for his youth and past experiences, he stated that he does not miss modern New York, the political environment under Donald Trump, or paying 90 dollars for a plate of pasta with a coffee. Discussing his craft, he compared making shoes to making love, explaining that both are about giving pleasure.
Cazabat emphasized that continuing to work is vital to his life and that he has no plans to retire. He added humorously that he can no longer spend his time gathering porcini mushrooms in his home region because none remain. Looking to the future, the prolific craftsman stated that he still has numerous ideas, including a plan to eventually open his own restaurant.
