Sophia Webster Receives Honorary Doctorate

Luxury footwear and accessories designer Sophia Webster received an Honorary Doctorate in Design from De Montford University.

Webster, who has mentored De Montford University footwear designers over the years, addressed graduands from the Faculty of Arts, Design and Humanities, in a pair of her own designed shoes, adorned with intricate butterfly wings on the heel, which she first created while at university herself.

In her acceptance speech Webster, shared her personal vision to “be bold, be brave, believe” with the graduands as a plan for the next phase of their lives, as well as calling on them to “relish the process of struggle that comes before achievement, just as the butterfly, her chosen insignia, transforms after a period of endeavour”.

Sophia Webster has offered opportunities including work placements and employment for De Montford University students including Georgia Battell, who won the De Montford University Chancellor shoe-design competition.

De Montford University awards honorary degrees to individuals who have “distinguished themselves in their professional lives and who have made outstanding contributions to the intellectual, cultural and economic life of the nation”. Other honourees included Kemal Pervanic, a writer and human rights activist, who received an Honorary Doctor of Letters.

Image: courtesy of Sophia Webster