Madonna’s brother takes rubber-soled step into spotlight

Christopher Ciccone, the younger brother of pop star Madonna, took a rubber-soled step outside of his famous sibling’s shadow on Friday as he launched his first shoe collection at the start of London Fashion Week.

Saturday, September 15, 2012

Christopher Ciccone, the younger brother of pop star Madonna, took a rubber-soled step outside of his famous sibling’s shadow on Friday as he launched his first shoe collection at the start of London Fashion Week.Ciccone, 51, spun a modern twist on functional footwear, using rubber, leather and canvas to reinvent riding boots, Wellington boots, boat shoes, brogues and sandals, using a mixture of bold block hues, geometric prints and strap details. The prices of the collection range from 39 pounds to just under 300 pounds ($63-$480)."It’s the art that follows the form (that) follows the function. I’m an artist, so everything that I create comes from that world,” Ciccone told Reuters, adding that he was inspired by the work of Georgia O’Keeffe, Mondrian and Delacroix. Madonna did not attend the launch, but she was there in spirit as her latest hit song, "Girl Gone Wild,” played alongside other pop hits during Ciccone’s presentation at London’s trendy Strand Gallery.The collection itself was designed for "anybody who likes to wear shoes, and where God made weather,” but Ciccone did have something picked out for Madonna - a pair of black leather cowboy-inspired boots with bold cutout details that he said "just say her name louder.”"We haven’t spoken specifically about the collection itself. We have a strictly brother-sister relationship right now,” Ciccone said about Madonna. He added: "Obviously, I’m sure I’ll send her some shoes.”Agencies