Urbanising haute couture shoes is what Raphael Young's philosophy is all about. The young shoe designer, born in Seoul in 1974, brands his creations as pure architural pieces that require precise studying of the geometrics, balance and harmony in the volume and dimensions. This isn't a clothing item, it's an object of creation. This isn't about numbers, it's about quality.

And it's with quality and exception that the Raphael Young brand is associated with. Fine, human-sized brands though with larger-than-life ambitions, similar to Raphael's, that place quality and credentials above all else. Selectively located in unique shops that share the same ideology of small productions with higher quality versus mass manufacturing and less attention to detail, Raphael is adamant on how his shoes are perceived.

Raphael Young is a true artisan and a real craftsman, having a rare nowledge of traditional shoe-making techniques that set him apart from fellow designers. Raphael makes from stitch to finish every single shoe, as he was taught by his uncle Alexandre Narcy, who spent his entire career designing shoes for Yves Saint Laurent.

Raphael would first have an eclectic educational path, dabbing a bit in physics as his father wanted hum to be a mathematician, before trying for the Navy and engineering until he finally put himself through fashion designs. But this diversity allowed him to become better prepared for his future profession and actually abled him to take on his shoe apprenticeship.

"I understand the importance of physics and mechanism, as well as art and scupture. We all work with the same fundamentals when you break it down; equlibrium, volume, density, realistic materials and lines of force".

The Raphael Young label does not depend on any sponsors, business angels or any major financial aide whatsoever. The Raphael Young brand is self-sufficient and wants to stay that way, thus explaining its policy of quality above all else. It's not just a choice - it's a vital part of the brand's success and survival. The fact is that the Raphael Young brand is right where it wants to be - delivering goods through the success it has engendered and slowly building the company with great detail placed in, non other than the quality.