The Square Life

Grab yourself a couple of colored Sharpies and some white Vans, because its time to make Madonna some shoes. That isn’t quite how it started for Hayley Parker, but that’s exactly how she rolls these days. Her hand-drawn designs on plain Vans and Keds are not only buzzing the blog scene, but circling the globe.

After graduating from Lone Peak High School, Haley attended Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City. But everything really points back to when Hayley customized her own kicks with some markers and was practically forced to make some for all of her friends. Hayley then decided to take pictures of her shoes and email them to different boutiques, and Costume Designer Patricia Field (Sex and the City) picked them up for her NYC boutique in which they still sell, along with boutiques in Paris and Italy. On top of this, Hayley’s shoes have been featured in magazines Elle and Nylon.

S.Q. So I hear celebrities are taking interest?
H.P. I got a call from Julian Casablancas (lead singer of The Strokes); he ordered two pair. Then I did a pair for Madonna, which was out of control, and we are now collaborating on a mass produced clothing line. Oh, and Guillermo del Toro, the director of Pans Labrynth, got a pair.

Are your shoes meant to be on display or worn?
I use permanent textile markers that don’t bleed or fade, my husband and I have a bunch of pairs that are worn so much that they are falling apart. But I know one guy who put his in a glass case next to all of his Johnny Cash memorabilia.
Since you are a master of low cut shoes, should people wear socks?
I love socks, so yes. I would say just when you are wearing closed toe shoes, no sandals.

When I googled HP Lovecraft, I found out that it is not only your company name, but also a 60s rock band and a 20s sci-fi writer. Which one more inspired you?
Definitely the sci-fi writer; he wrote horrifying stories. It started as a nickname and then stuck. It was my DJ name when I lived in New York, and then it became my company name HP Lovecraft NYC.

What advice would you give to those trying to get their art out there?
Try to find something you are good at. Selling art is the hardest part. Show it to everyone, try everyone and tell everyone. And, from someone, more will come.