Jean-Michel Cazabat

Jean-Michel Cazabat (born May 18, 1959, in Bordères-sur-l'Echez) is a French shoe designer. His shoes have been worn by celebrities including Miley Cyrus, Kristen Stewart, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kourtney Kardashian, Lenny Kravitz, and others.  

His career began in the 1980s alongside Charles Jourdan and Stéphane Kélian. Cazabat eventually launched his eponymous brand in 2000 in New York.

Biography
Cazabat was born May 18, 1959, in Bordères-sur-l'Echez, France. At 17, he covered rugby matches and concerts in the Southwest region of France as a correspondent for La Dépêche du Midi and La Nouvelle République des Pyrénées.

As a freelance photographer, he moved to Paris where he worked for Vogue, L'Officiel, and Le Figaro Magazine.

Jean-Michel began his design career in the 1980s when he became a buyer and store manager for Charles Jourdan in 1980. In 1985, he moved to New York where he was appointed by Stéphane Kélian, as the director of the American market. Later he was appointed creative director of the brand.

In 2000, Cazabat established his eponymous brand in New York, departing from his prior associations with fashion houses. In 2008, he partnered with the Max Oriental group to expand his business.

In 2011, he joined the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) and opened his first boutiques in New York and a shop-in-shop in Shanghai, China.

In 2019, Cazabat became the co-founder of Aera, a vegan shoe brand. The brand emphasized focused on sustainable fashion and collaborated with organizations such as the Green Trees Reforestation Project, BEF Water Restoration Certificates, and Social Plastic Collection Credits to support sustainability and transparency in their manufacturing processes. In 2020, after living 30 years in New York, Cazabat decided to return to France and focus on craftsmanship and eco-design to prepare the re-launch of his brand.