The 8 Ball: Lily Atherton Hanbury of Le Monde Béryl
Special but not precious; the freedom to travel light but far. Introducing Le Monde Béryl at Covet + Lou. Join us in discussion with Creative Director Lily Atherton Hanbury.
Could you please introduce yourselves and your roles at Le Monde Béryl?
Katya is our CEO, and I am the Creative Director, but we’re both very involved in every aspect of the business from strategy to design.
You note the traditional Venetian gondolier slipper, the ballerina shoe, and riding boot as inspiration when starting Le Monde Béryl. (This sounds like the perfect trifecta, by the way). Can you speak to the history of these shoes and your vision for reinvention and refining?
Each style in our collection reflects a heritage where form follows function. These particular archetypes – the Venetian, ballerina, and riding boot embody the quiet elegance that arises when necessity meets mastery. As in saddlery, where every element is designed around form, movement, and refinement, our dedication to material and hand-finishing creates pieces that inspire confidence and inherent grace.
What do you find most beautiful or interesting about traditional shoe making and textile techniques?
We share a passion for preserving craft and cultural heritage. One of our velvet suppliers, Bevilacqua in Venice, still works with the original 17th-century wooden looms, preserving the textile history of Venice as it intersects with contemporary culture. In our other workshops, each shoe is meticulously hand-finished embodying inherited knowledge, skill, and passion. This is craft in its purest form - wisdom passed through generations and honed through daily practice.
Iconic shoe moments that stand out to you in art, in history, in pop culture, fashion, etc.?
The sound of footsteps in Brian Ferry’s Love Is The Drug. Bill Boweman’s use of an actual waffle maker for the early Nike Waffle Race experiments. Audrey Hepburn dancing in loafers in Funny Face.
Top two or three shoes everyone should have in their closet?
Our Babouche Kitten Heel, the Ballet Claudia Slipper and our newly launched Après-Ski
shearling flats.
Favorite clothing designers or specific pieces in your closet?
A vintage shearling coat from Saint Laurent, a French military trench designed by Courrèges and my favourite blue jeans.
Who/what are your inspirations?
Style makers at moments of cultural and societal disruption.
Parting words- what are you looking forward to this year?
We have some very exciting projects and developments on the horizon. We have lots of new styles coming, including pool slides, a driver moccasin and a micro wedge mule. We will be working on new product categories, travel-inspired capsules, and launching our latest campaign, shot in Paris. We are also collaborating on something special with a rising star of fashion this spring.
Discover Le Monde Béryl at Covet + Lou.
