“I knew that it was very important to be professional and pay attention to details,” she says. “I also knew that with a strong drive, you can achieve as much as possible.” Klara particularly enjoyed the fact that her instructors were working in the industry and that alumni and professionals would come speak on campus. “When I was going to FIDM it was so important to see how somebody became successful,” Klara says. “The connections you can make through the school are really great.”

Born in Hungary, Klara came to the U.S. in 1992, and has worked as a shoe designer for several hip companies. At Noel Design Studio she designed for brands like Steve Madden and later worked for Guess?, Charles David, Seychelles and BC Footwear – all leaders in the fashion footwear industry. In January of 2001, she landed a job at Global Brand Marketing in Santa Barbara, California where she designs for the trendy, fashion forward XOXO footwear collection. GBMI also holds the licenses for Diesel and Nautica footwear.

“I study the girl who I am designing for,” Klara says. “I have to feel what she wants at a given time.” So how does Klara get inspired? “Some of the major inspirations are shopping trendy and vintage stores, traveling to European cities, constantly checking out the European catwalks and I look up to popular people such as musicians and actresses for the latest fashion.” Her job duties include trend research, concept sketching, color merchandising and presentations.

While her job is a lot of hard work, there are perks such as free shoes and travel to places like Europe, New York, and Las Vegas. “This field of work definitely provides an opportunity to travel and experience other cultures,” she says. But the best perks of all is “seeing an idea come to life,” according to Klara. And what does a shoe designer choose to wear herself? “A sculpted stiletto with a four-inch heel!” laughs Klara. “I love shoes that are a little bit more feminine and funky than usual. I can’t wear flat shoes.”


Check out Klara’s designs on XOXO.com.

Please Note: The information contained herein was confirmed at the time of original publication