MELBOURNE: Fledging footwear designer Sera Hopwood lays the blame for her new collection squarely at the feet of shoe brand Evelyn Miles.
If she hadn’t discovered the footwear chain, not only would Hopwood never have developed a passion for beautiful shoes, she may also have struggled to find the money to learn how to make her own.
Today, armed with a textiles diploma and having undertaken a part-time course in footwear while working at the retailer, the 24-year-old is about to launch her own collection.
“I grew an interest in printed shoes – print being my major in my diploma – and decided to try and get shoes made using my hand-painted prints,” Hopwood said.
“After being told by the footwear department that I’d have to make them myself, I enrolled in the short course, learned how to make ballet flats and from there it was history.”
Targeted at women “courageous enough to try something new”, Hopwood’s debut line boasts a range of styles including wedges, heels, flats and thongs. With each pair stamped with Hopwood’s unique design aesthetic, the collection is manufactured in Italy and is positioned at the higher end of the retail spectrum with price points of between $460 and $550.
Available in European sizes 36 to 41 whole and half sizes, Hopwood said the colour palette for her spring/summer 2009/10 range was based around oranges, pinks, blacks, yellows and beiges.
“My style is unique with a new take on clean lines. Think Carrie Bradshaw meets Cate Blanchett.”
Available in-store from October, the collection will be stocked by a range of Melbourne boutiques including Syrup in Hampton, Ebony M in South Yarra and Filly’s Stable in Albert Park.
While admitting it had been a challenge launching the range in such a difficult economic climate, Hopwood said she was confident the brand would find both domestic and international success. The hardest part had been getting people to move beyond flattery and actually putting their hands in their pockets, she said.
“This may be because of the economic challenges we face, but also because at the moment, I’m a nobody and given the price point of my shoes it’s harder for people to take that risk and buy. [That said] I think my style is something that might translate well into the commercial market and so far the feedback has been very positive.”