Q. If one pays close attention to heels and their design details on the runways in the past 20 years, there are a lot of Clergerie influences. It would be fair to say you are the architect of contemporary shoe design. Is that how you perceive yourself?

A. Effectively, I paid a lot of attention to heel design. One millimeter dictates whether a heel is well balanced or not. Everything is in the eye - there is no rule. I don't know if it would be a fair assessment to say that some of our heel designs have had an influence on the market because I am afraid to be a bit paranoiac. But maybe it could be.

Q. What is the creative process you use when designing a collection?

A. It is a question I can never answer. I never knew why. I want to draw to your attention that, as a line-builder, I have been working with a team. The line-builder's purpose is to make sure that a collection is well constructed. Like one builds a house, a shoe collection needs its kitchen, living room, bedroom. Each designer in the team will build only a kitchen or living room or bedroom and my job is to make sure all the rooms are built in a coherent and harmonious fashion. Moreover, we always take into consideration the principle in building a Clergerie collection, which consists in working first on the shoe volumes to have a simple, well balanced and good-fitting shoe, which is not so easy. I always thought that the more details you have the less strong idea you have.

Q. I read in an online bio, that you were initially interested in furniture design but ended up in footwear design. Is that true and what influenced the decision to make the change?

A. Following the Algerian war which I participated in as an officer, upon my return to France I was not that well balanced psychologically and I started working on road construction. After a while, I did realize it was not my job. And effectively, I was interested in furniture design because one works on volume in space. I replied to a job posting by Jourdan and was eventually hired. I collaborated with that great man who was Roland Jourdan. I fell in love with shoe design because, like in furniture, one works on volume and like furniture, the shoe has a life itself because it can't live without a foot in it.

Q. A myth has circulated that tucked away in the attic of an old house in the town of Romans in France lies a veritable treasure-trove of shoes. Is that true? Please tell our readers about your collection of shoes and what they mean to you?

A. In Romans, apart from the personal museum we have in the factory, there is a very important museum of shoes, which is, in my opinion, one of the best in the world. If somebody could take time and come visit it, it is simply amazing.

Q. You sold your company some time ago but have recently purchased it back in its entirety. What prompted you to sell it initially and why did you buy it back now?

A. I sold the company under the influence of a financial group. The day I received my check, I started regretting it. After three years, the company was going into Chapter 11 and I was afraid the people of the company would be laid off. Considering that money is a way to live better but not to remain in a safe, I decided to invest part of the money I got from the initial selling of the company back in the company. So I am happy in accordance with myself and apparently the workers and all the personnel of the company are happy too. Thank God!

Q. What shoes do you feel every woman should have in her closet?

A. She must have a cute shoe that fits the foot well.

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