From Concept to Creation
You may be wondering how one even goes about getting shoes produced! Here I am sharing my story of getting my shoes DESYLLAS handmade in Italy, all the way from concept to creation.
The Design Process
I was in Milan attending the MICAM shoe fair. Over the course of three days I would spend all day at the fair networking, have dinner, and then feeling exhausted, go straight to bed.
I would wake up multiple times in the night, barely able to open my eyes, with my mind bursting with ideas for new designs. It’s safe to say my creative juices were flowing!
That’s when it happened at 3am in Milan in my hotel room sketching the initial design of what would then become Majesty.
It’s hard to put into words but when I come up with a design I see them in context. I don’t just see the shoe, I see the shoe in a vision, whether it’s worn by a model on a runway, on display in a high-end store, or being worn by a customer at an event. I had this vision of Majesty worn on a woman wearing a tule dress, it was beautiful.
I was obsessed with this design and when I returned from Italy I knew it was going to be the one I launched my label DESYLLAS with.
The Manufacturing Process
When looking for my ideal manufacturer, there were some pre-requisites that were non-negotiable: vegan materials, low minimums, ethical production standards, and design freedom.
After days of networking, I finally found a manufacturer whom I resonated with, and who could bring my dream and vision to life. It is through this very connection that I found my manufacturer in Italy.
So, getting into the juicy details of the production process! The first step was sending through my final design which included the profile, back and front view of the shoe. Alongside that I sent through a specification sheet that outlined every little detail of the shoe such as the material type, the colour, heel height, any extra padding, and the width of the straps and the buckle. As I designed my own Swarovski crystal embellishment for Majesty I did this exact process with the crystal design too. I chose each and every crystal shape, colour and size to suit my design. Accuracy and attention to detail were two really important factors of this step of the process.
Prototyping was the next step and when I received that very first parcel I felt so nervous to open the box. When I finally opened it, I was so happy; it was beautiful! Luckily, I’m a size 37 which is industry sample size, so straight away I tried the shoe on. It was so surreal. I was actually wearing my own shoes. I’ll never forget that moment. I was still in my Pyjama pants with a sock on my left foot and my right foot wearing the shoe. I laid down on my bed and put my foot up in the air admiring this golden, sparkling shoe, and the first word that came to me was… MAJESTY.
After floating back down to planet earth, I took some time to analyse the shoe and see what needed improving. I sent the shoe back to Italy and gave my feedback.
From here we started the sampling process. The sample is a complete, final, pair of the shoes. When the sample was completed, I was so happy with it, and I went straight into production. I bought the materials for the shoe, ordered the crystal embellishments, and within a few months the shoes were all ready and shipped over to me.
The Result
I can’t begin to explain the pure joy of receiving my shoes, my first production, my babies. My dream and my vision became my reality. I created ethical, vegan, luxury shoes that are handmade in Italy!
So now you understand that they are more than just shoes. Majesty is a mission, a dream, filled with love, infused with passion, and handmade in Italy by artisans. Majesty tells a story. They will always be the very first design by DESYLLAS. When you invest in Majesty you’re buying into a mission – to join together the art and beauty of luxury, high quality shoes that are handmade in Italy with a non-harm ethos. No harm of animals or people. I believe you should be able have both luxury and ethics, and with the Majesty stiletto now you can.