| A Shoe of Emotion
“I am building a business that is totally empowering, not
just for myself but for the people who work for me. The process
in which I make shoes is pure empowerment because quality stands
at the center of everything,” affirms Calleen
Cordero, who is not only emerging as one of America’s
premiere shoe designers but also a successful single mother of two
sons who prides herself not only in the way she provides for her
family but also her extended family of retailers and the dedicated
staff of 40 artisans and specialists who purposefully put each shoe
together by hand—giving each one the ultimate power to do
work they truly love. For Cordero, the achievement is not just about
the shoe itself.
“Each piece of a shoe is like a puzzle,” Cordero muses.
“And because each one is made completely by hand, its labor
intensive nature justifies the prices, which average about $350
for the shoes. However, this also shows that much care is taken
to ensure heels and insteps are ergonomically designed. A
pair of these shoes is an investment in ones feet beyond fashion,
and even goes beyond being staple in a wardrobe for years because
they are designed with the foot’s fragile bone and muscle
structure in mind. Also, with the hands-on approach my team
and I take in construction of each pair of shoes, the resulting
look is not intended to be overly sleek, but be something that is
as individual as the wearer.”
Cordero’s dedication to creating the ultimate U.S.-made shoe
has led to quite the celebrity following, which includes Cher
(MORE CURRENT CELEBS HERE!). Beyond
the glow of a strong industry clientele and several recent runway
triumphs during L.A. Spring 2005 Fashion Week (with Petro
Zillia, Ella Moss and Saja),
a walk through her factory affirms her commitment. Though the space
seems open and airy at first, deeper inside the space, you would
find insoles being hand-formed, heels being forged from wood or
leather by hand and craftspeople with a jewelers sensibility embedding
studs, stones and embroidery treatments. In other areas, finishing
touches are added to a group of purses and belts specially designed
for one of Cordero’s most dedicated boutique clients in Paris.
For the Northern California-bred Cordero, getting into the fashion
business via shoes was as natural as walking. For as long as she
could remember, she loved fashion—shoes in particular—and
would take any job in babysitting or house cleaning to afford the
things that genuinely made her happy. When an upscale shoe boutique
opened near her home, she made it a point to court the store’s
owner until she got her worker’s permit at 15. By 16, she
was promoted to sales and very quickly won over customers and her
boss. So much so, in fact, that the owner regarded her as a protégé
and took her on shopping trips to Europe. Just a few years later,
was learning about the art of the shoe
from greats like Robert Clerigie and Stephane Kellian and
running her own store in San Francisco’s most affluent shopping
area.
When her career took her to Los Angeles, she spent the better part
of the 90s laying the groundwork for her own venture in various
corporate functions-- launching Kenneth
Cole's men's collection in 14 western states, serving in
corporate sales for Dr. Martens,
and worked for a very brief time at Steve
Madden. Today, the elegantly homespun shoes bearing her own
name, as well as an emerging collection of sexy, body conscious
bags and belts in earthy hues can be found locally at Dari,
Madison and Stacey
Todd, and in some of the world’s great stores like
Harvey Nichols (London), L’Eclaireur
(Paris) and Luisa Via Roma (Florence).
This week, one lucky reader will win
the chance to (walk in Calleen’s shoes, hang out with Calleen
via one of her bags, tie the look together with a belt).
For more on Calleen and her dream visit www.calleencordero.com
or go to her brand new store opening April 15th at 7384 Beverly
Blvd. in Los Angeles.
|
