Kenjiro Kawashima
Kenjiro Kawashima dreamt of becoming a shoemaker as a high school student. After graduation, he worked in the university as an assistant while being an independent designer, focusing in landscape and graphic design.
In 2008, he moved from Hiroshima to Tokyo to become a design teacher in shoemaking (Hiko-Mizuno College of Jewelry, Shoes course). While he was working as a teacher, he taught himself shoemaking with some help from his coworkers.
After some trial and errors and attending a shoemaking class at college, he started to make bespoke shoes for customers.
In 2019, he moved to Barcelona, Spain and worked in Norman Vilata Bespoke Shoes. Kenjiro Kawashima was in charge of making bespoke shoes and exploring new designs and patterns.
He then moved to Seoul, South Korea in 2022 to open his own studio and founded his own bespoke brand “Kawashima Handmade Shoes” while continuing to make bespoke shoes for Norman Vilata.
In 2023, Kenjiro Kawashima started getting his own bespoke orders.
After some trial and errors and attending a shoemaking class at college, he started to make bespoke shoes for customers.
In 2019, he moved to Barcelona, Spain and worked in Norman Vilata Bespoke Shoes. Kenjiro Kawashima was in charge of making bespoke shoes and exploring new designs and patterns.
He then moved to Seoul, South Korea in 2022 to open his own studio and founded his own bespoke brand “Kawashima Handmade Shoes” while continuing to make bespoke shoes for Norman Vilata.
In 2023, Kenjiro Kawashima started getting his own bespoke orders.
2019 - a member of “confraria de sant marc evangelista de mestres sabaters de Barcelona”
(Confraternity of Saint Mark the Evangelist of Master Shoemakers of Barcelona) as the first Japanese shoemaker.
2022 - 3rd place of World Championship in Shoemaking at London super trunk show.
2023 - 8th place of World Championship in Shoemaking at London super trunk show.
