When inspiration strikes in Verona

The past 2 years for Lejer Boutique were an adventure, from the first sketch, to finding the right designer, the right producer, to marketing and selling the shoes. Not to mention while I was building the company I had a full time corporate job. I was new to the shoe making industry, and still am. While I had a lot of bumps on the road, what kept me going was my dream to create an inclusive brand for women, with slightly wider feet than the standard and reshape the experience of shopping for shoes. 

For the first collection through an intermediary company, Italian Artisan, I managed to get in contact with a company located in Tuscany who agreed to support me in producing the first model - Dream of those roaring 20s. The biggest roadblock I faced was making the brand known. I found myself with 60 pairs of shoes ordered and with little audience to show it to. It turned out that most of the pairs I sold were to my friends! As you can imagine, the first launch was not the success I dreamt, but this did not discourage me. What dream is reached from the first try?!

Early this autumn I met with Chiara, the brand‘s designer, in Verona, and had a brainstorming creative session on what we would like our next collection to feel and look like. Oh Verona, the city of love, what a magical place! Every turn I took I felt the vibration of creativity and the voice of history. It is also the place which made me doubt myself, I kept hearing: “You are no artist, what are you thinking trying to compete with true artists?” Luckily Chiara, the designer of my brand, is a true artist.

I put aside the voice in my head and returned to my dream. With the help of Chiara, we came out of the creative session victorious. We agreed on what type of foundational shoes we want to create: a Mary Jane, a loafer and a boot. We chose these three types, as we believe they are versatile and that they can simplify your choice and wardrobes. The promise is that your toes will have enough breathing room, this means the width of the shoes will be around 0.5cm wider than the standard.

So what's next? Together with Italian artisans from the Marche region this time, we will develop our foundational collection and we want to take you with us on this journey, from the sketches to the samples and the production. 

As you know our first model was produced in a limited quantity, to ensure that we do not waste any resources. We are continuing on this path. The new models will also be produced in a limited quantity and we will have a pre-ordering window and an early access for our community.

Stay tuned for the next steps in our journey. 

With so much excitement for the future,

Luciana