Rachel Simpson - a little biog...
When people discover I’m a shoe designer, nine times out of ten they ask how I got into shoes (the other ten percent ask me what I think of their shoes ;)). The simple answer is that I did a footwear degree at DeMontfort University, had a rollercoaster few years, and somewhere along the line fell in love with the craft of shoe making. Prior to that was art college, and when I came to choosing a degree it was either footwear design or mechanical engineering (yup, really). Not being a huge maths fan, shoes won hands down. Footwear design can be creative and imaginative, but still has to engineer a working product at the end of the day- the perfect combination of art & design.
When I left uni, I bought a couple of old industrial sewing machines, some leather, cottons and a few bits & pieces so I could continue the crafty side of shoes, and worked from a shed at the bottom of the garden. At the same time I worked as a freelance designer for a number of companies, thus developing the designing & production side of things. I always knew I wanted to do my own thing, so in 2008 after making a number of handmade commissions, and travelling to lots of shoe factories around the world, I finally found my niche in bridal shoes, and the company was born.
We’ve come a long way from that shed at the bottom of the garden, but I hope we’ve maintained all the original ideas. Stylish design, which originates in elegant vintage ideas and doesn’t have to answer to anyone else’s ideas; beautifully made shoes from factories small enough to be as close as I can to making them myself; and prices which may not be pile ‘em high cheap, but offer real value for money for a product manufactured as near to the UK as I could get.
I hope you like what we’re doing. We recently won an award- wow. Made us think that maybe we’re along the right lines, and not everyone wants skyscraper heel and bling. Our wedding shoes are understated, quiet and well… just beautiful shoes. Enjoy.
Rachel xx
