Tampa shoe designer attracts Hollywood attention
TAMPA (FOX 13) - Cedrick McDonald has set up a red carpet runway at his Seminole Heights hall to test his designs for his "Exotics by Cedrick" shoe collection.
"If it appeases my eye on the red carpet then it works and we'll send it to mass production," he explained.
Cedrick wants to make sure every detail is perfect for his star clientele.
"One celebrity called my shoes a gift from God. So I thought that was nice," Cedrick said.
He's gotten noticed by Hollywood at events for some of the biggest awards shows.
"It was the celebrity gifting suite. Some celebrities have standing orders as we speak.”
The road to getting where he is today hasn't come easy.
"This is a lot of my own footwork; knocking on doors, boots on the ground,” Cedrick offered.
He said his brand isn't just a shoe, it's an experience.
"It's an emotional connection,” he said. “Every heel comes from a place of emotion and it comes from a place of inspiration.”
Like the red pump he calls the Donatella.
"The bold red color is kind of how deep I was, how deep the moment was for me. And then the rose it signifies the victory and the triumph over that particular situation,” Cedrick explained.
His tag line is "live life through your soles." That's where you'll find his trademark: "The patent on every shoe, the snakeskin bottom and Swarovski crystals.”
"In all my shoes, I have extra padding on the insole, on the bottom of the foot for comfortability.”
Because, he says, a good pair of heels should bring pleasure, not pain.
"You can wear anything and as long as you've got a killer pair of heels on,” he smiled. “It overcompensates for whatever else you have going on.”
For information about Exotics by Cedrick, go to www.exoticsbycedrick.com