Florence, Footwear Designer & Founder of Studio Encore
I have spent over two decades obsessing over footwear design, exploring the intersection of athletic heritage, street culture, and high-level craftsmanship. My journey has taken me through some of Europe’s most vibrant creative hubs—from Brussels and London to Munich, and finally to Amsterdam, where I now operate my practice.
Before launching my own studio, I spent 20 years shaping the commercial footwear landscape for major global brands. At PUMA, I designed the Impulse Cat - a silhouette that broke industry norms by proving that women’s sport-fashion hybrids could become cultural staples. From there, I went on to lead high-profile collaborations at Lacoste and bring contemporary lifestyle design to Fred Perry.
While designing for the masses was exhilarating, I felt a calling to reconnect with the physical product and address the environmental impact of the footwear industry. In 2022, I stepped away from corporate industrial design to master traditional cordwainery and manual shoe repair.
That evolution led to the birth of Studio Encore.
Based in Amsterdam, Studio Encore is a bespoke sneaker customization and repair space dedicated to giving quality footwear a second life. By merging contemporary sneaker design with artisanal cobbling, I create premium, one-of-a-kind customs and structural restorations. I also host interactive workshopsteaching people how to upcycle worn sneakers into custom mary janes or mules, and personalize classics like Birkenstocks to foster a more circular, creative, and conscious future for footwear culture.
