She is the daughter of a Naval Captain, who quelled a rebellion in the Maldives in 1959, and a fashion journalist who worked for the Sunday Times, so fashion and a certain passion for adventure and exotic places have always been a part of her heritage, it’s not a surprise that CNN recently made a lifestyle and work documentary on Emma Hope, following her to South Africa, learning to play polo, surfing and making beaded bags with Monkey Biz, meeting their beaders in their workshop in the township of Khayelitsha, which supports an aids wellness clinic in the centre of Cape Town.
Her shoes are simply the coolest around. She has designed for Paul Smith, Anna Sui and Mulberry, now she has a line under her name, three shops in London, in Sloane Square, Westbourne Grove and Islington, and her accessories are in over 150 stores worldwide including Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman and Harrods. All of her shoes are made in small, family owned, factories in Tuscany, where they are specialists in the finest hand crafted shoe making techniques.
Emma designed the shoes for Kiera Knightly and Rosamund Pike for the award winning film “Pride and Prejudice”, the Gifford's Circus commissioned her to design some ‘Moulin Rouge’ boots for the trapeze artists and chorus girls for their tour and she has won five Design Council Awards, the Martini Style Award, the Harpers & Queen Design Award and the Clothes Show TV and D.T.I. accessories award. The designer has recently launched a new collection of sneaker's for men. The sneakers have an old school feeling and are made in ponyskin, fat metallic nappa, satin, velvets or python and are calf lined. Chelsea footballer Frank Lampard, Kevin Spacey and singer Bobby Gillespie of Primal Scream are some of the famous names who wear the "joe" sneakers.
“Hope for men” fall-winter 2007/08 sneakers collection includes Magic baskets, Strap baskets (with Velcro straps) and a new style called Tennis sneaker. There are also velvet ankle boot and more classical shapes, reinvented in a modern way.
