Terry de Havilland

Terrence Higgins (21 March 1938 – 27 November 2019 ), professionally known as Terry de Havilland, was an English shoe designer. Known as the 'Rock n Roll Cobbler of the 1970s', he is most famed for his key part in the ‘Swinging London’ fashion scene, with clients including Marianne Faithfull, Led Zeppelin, Bianca Jagger and David Bowie. His platforms are still worn today by British model Kate Moss.

Early life
Terry de Havilland was born in London into a family of cobblers and was young when his parents started their own company, Waverley Shoes. He was already assisting in the workshop at the age of five. Their company catered to West End clientele and showgirls from the city’s busy theatres, producing winklepickers.

Career
In the 1960s he found a pair of three-tiered wedges in his father’s attic. He made up new pairs in psychedelic snakeskin colours. The Jolly Boy stall sold the shoes, and as quickly as they were picked up from the factory they were sold.

On 4 May 1970, his father was killed after being accidentally electrocuted in his factory. de Havilland did not abandon the brand, but went on to open his own store ‘Cobblers to the World’ on the Kings Road in 1972, with the company doing fourteen trade shows a year. He was making shoes for everyone from Tim Curry in The Rocky Horror Picture Show to leather thigh high boots for Jackie O.

After the dissolution of ‘Kamikaze’ in 1988, Terry de Havilland's name transitioned to ‘Magic Shoes,’ introducing popular platform styles and latex boots that gained popularity among the clubgoers of the 1990s. In 1990, de Havilland met his future wife Liz, a textile designer, who played a pivotal role in elevating the brand. By the mid-1990s, major UK retailers began stocking the brand.

Subsequently, the de Havillands established ‘Cobblers to the World’ at Camden Stables Market. During this period, the company's shoes were featured in international fashion publications and prominent film productions. However, Terry de Havilland experienced a minor heart attack on Christmas Eve in 2001. As a result, the shop closed in February of the following year, allowing him to concentrate on editorial work and revitalizing the de Havilland brand.

In 2013, Terry de Havilland launched a temporary flagship store in London. He passed away at the age of 81 on November 27, 2019.

Awards
In 2006, Terry de Havilland was nominated as Accessory Designer of the Year at the British Fashion Awards and in 2010 was awarded a Drapers Lifetime Achievement Award for his contribution to footwear design over the last fifty years.