Nicola Roberts helps design solo shoes

Nicola Roberts has helped design the shoes she will wear to launch her solo career.

The Girls Aloud star collaborated with up-and-coming designer Atalanta Weller to create the wedged footwear she wears on her promotional shots and Atalanta admits she was very hands-on.

She told vogue.co.uk: “A collaboration is like a good conversation. Nicola came to my studio a couple of times and I went to hers; we initially chatted about her music, the forthcoming album and how this related to her vision for the shoes. I went away and started designing my response to this. After our first meeting I was excited by her ideas and collaborating with people who have a strong vision is really fantastic. Nicola considers everything she does really carefully and has a totally clear view of what she wants to achieve. While the shoes are just a small part of this, I knew it would be interesting and fun to work together.”

Although Atalanta admits they were an unlikely pairing, she said they worked very well together.

She said: “I think we are an unlikely pairing which is why I was intrigued when Nicola approached me about working together. I think that she has incredible style and she’s extremely distinctive, luxurious and original in the way she wears clothes. I have not collaborated like this before and the fact that it was for the launch of Nicola’s solo music career meant we could be quite experimental. Everything was new and fresh.”