The Designer Joins the Shoe Brand as It Looks to Take on New Sustainability Practices
Harrys London, the English shoe company, has appointed Maud O’Keeffe as its new design director. O’Keeffe will replace Graeme Fidler, the former consulting creative director, and will oversee the company’s footwear and accessories collections.
Sean Dixon, managing director of Harrys London, praised the new appointment: “Maud is a real designer’s designer and she brings status as well as great skill to Harrys.” He further noted the timing of this leadership change: “With the imminent launch of our new, revolutionary Harley Street-developed footbed, this is an exciting time for the brand. Maud is simply the perfect person to take us forward.”
The new footbed, a technical innovation developed with experts from the Harley Street-based Marylebone Health Group in London, is described as lightweight and ergonomic, made from a foam gel designed to offer improved support.
In an interview, O’Keeffe expressed her enthusiasm for the role, highlighting the brand’s focus on technology and sustainability. “We are going through a full sustainability drive, where [everything] will be completely transparent. We’ll be using all Leather Working Group suedes and leathers, so they will be certified gold standard. I want to bring in more and more sustainable materials — but true sustainability, not any greenwashing,” she stated.
Before her new role at Harrys London, O’Keeffe started her career in marketing in the 1990s, working with fashion houses such as Jean Paul Gaultier, Patrick Cox, Alexander McQueen, and Helmut Lang. She later co-founded the O’Keeffe collection in 2011 and had a successful stint in the footwear industry, with her designs being worn by celebrities such as Javier Bardem and Idris Elba. In 2017, she also initiated the footwear category for Mr P., Mr Porter’s own brand, and worked there until April 2024.
Harrys is currently owned by Charles S. Cohen, a billionaire commercial real estate developer, who acquired the company in 2017 from Palladin Consumer Retail Partners, a Boston-based private equity firm.