There's nothing like a new pair of shoes to get me excited for the new season, and lucky for me, editor-approved Parisian bag brand Elleme is branching out into shoes. Launching next week, the designs embody what makes the handbags cult items: minimalism, addictive colours and a bit of a design twist.
Here's everything you need to know about the shoes, from designer Jingjing Fan.
Are the shoes a natural extension of your bag line?
Yes, absolutely. Key details include the organic shape, the hand-stitched finishing, and some folded play with the leather. Launching our shoe line came very naturally, constantly working with leather artisans in Italy, we wanted our shoe line to be seamless from our bag collection. You can find our signature hand-stitched and folded designs, all with a buttery lambskin or cowhide leather.
What is the inspiration behind the shoes?
I simply wanted to create something that I would like wear. Paris is where I am based and where I get inspired a lot, just a quick stroll at the park or on streets around our neighbourhood Le Marais would get all ideas flowing. The most important thing for me is the comfort, there’s a saying that with a good pair of shoes, a women can conquer the world. My design philosophy stays the same: Simplicity, Timelessness and Singularity. We want the user to be comfortable, to be able to wear this pair of shoe over the years and also stand out discreetly.
The Baozi is one of your most popular bags, can you predict a shoe style that will become just as cult?
Through all the feedbacks we got from the media and our merchant partners, the Ficelle, Etoile, Sandal and Mule styles are going to be huge hits. We can already feel the interest through our Instagram posts, these are also the most popular style for influencers and celebrities.
How would the Elleme woman style the shoes?
Fold, Tresse and Stitch sandals are perfect for a vacation look - style them with a short, maxi print dress or a jumpsuit. While Etoile, Ficelle and Stitch Mules will look super chic with a midi skirt, wide leg paint or a cocktail dress.
What’s the next step for the brand?
We started with our store in Le Marais, so definitely will continue to look into our retail stores development around the world in 2020. We are currently looking at cities like Tokyo and Beijing, as we already have our first international store in Shanghai. In the UK we are very well represented at Harvey Nichols, Selfridges and Browns. In terms of product, shoes came very naturally for me, as I work with leather on a daily basis. Our next big development will be my first RTW collection, it’s a new challenge that we are very excited about, will keep you posted on its show date!
