Pair put best foot forward
NATIONAL: Footwear designer Gabrielle Thompson has her parents tough regime to blame for finding herself as the newest player in Australia's luxury footwear market.
For it was as a five-year-old Thompson developed her first case of shoe envy when her mum and dad declined to give her a pair of plastic stilettos similar to her neighbour's.
Every cloud has a silver lining however and it's memories of that early knock back that has spurred Thompson to team with pal Shannon Gunn to launch her own footwear line.
Dubbed Tom Gunn, the label is targeted at women who get "enjoyment from wearing beautiful shoes". The range, which will be positioned alongside Terry Biviano, Mary Kyri and Agatha & Me, is fashioned from a mix of python skins from South America and pebbled and patent Italian leathers.
Colours include black, natural and grey pythons mixed with black and petrol blue patents and anthracite pebbled leather and all product will be manufactured in Italy.
Gunn, who met Thompson when the pair worked together at Brisbane-headquartered apparel company Colorado Group, said the hardest part of setting up the label was finding a manufacturing base.
In the end the pair bought two one way airfares to Italy and "hounded" factories until one agreed to take them on.
"We got told by many people that we were too young and out of our depth. One factory owner even told us we were being stupid - n a very nice way he thought he was just helping us out," Gunn said.
The label has several key points of difference one of which was its sizing, something which was imperative to the ongoing future of the brand.
"The range is available in sizes 35 to 42. Working in footwear for the past five years made us very aware that just because someone has a 35 or 42 size foot doesn't mean they want to miss out on wearing beautiful shoes," Gunn said.
Available in a range of styles including high-heel sandals, ballet and peep toe pumps, Tom Gunn's first autumn/winter range will retail for between $480 to $680. Selling now, the range will be in store from August.
By Tracey McEldowney