Michel Tcherevkoff: Design by Nature

From the simple flower disassemblies of Fong Qi Wei to the more elaborate constructions of Klaus Enrique Gerdes and Carl Warner, the number of permutations one can do with simple ingredients such as flowers, fruits and vegetables is mind-boggling. These creations, however, take the cake. From a simple creation based on a single leaf, photographer Michel Tcherevkoff has truly elevated design inspired by nature in his Shoe Fleur.

Michael Tcherevkoff is an advertising photographer and has worked for such companies as Estée Lauder and L'Oréal. While he's been active in the advertising industry since the 1970s, it's only been a few years that he gained fame for his mind-blowing creations he named "Shoe-Fleur".

These inventions stem from his passion for the new and exciting. According Tcherevkoff, “Taking pictures of something that just exists was never interesting to me. I’ve always gravitated to photography that’s more illustrative in nature, where I can create my own reality - with a twist.”

Tcherevkoff mentions that he was inspired by an upside down leaf which looked like a shoe. From there, he slowly developed his Shoe Fleur designs, the first one just a leaf arranged to look like a shoe, but the succeeding creations being more daring and beautiful.

Since 2007, his portfolio of flowery inventions has extended to bags in addition to the shoes. In addition to his Shoe Fleur, he's also experimented with creating insects, animals and other creatures in his Metafleur, butterflies in his Butter Fleur, hats and millinery in his Chapeau de Fleur and even some sexy lingerie in his Passion Flower (all of which can be found on his website).

For his Shoe-Fleur, Tcherevkoff starts by collecting different kinds of flowers and leaves to take back to his studio, he then studies and listens to them as the kind of shoe that they might become depends on what they are. Depending on the kind of plant, one might become a platform shoe while another might transform into a more formal stiletto heel shoe.

Based on these images alone, it's safe to say that Tcherevkoff listens well to these flowers.

For more of these amazing designs by nature, check out Michel Tcherevkoff's website here. For his photography portfolio, check this website. For prints of his works, you can purchase them here. You can also purchase his books and calendars: Shoe Fleur: A Footwear Fantasy, Petals, Purses, and Pumps 2012 Engagement (calendar), and Shoe Fleur: Notecard Boxes.