The reason I decided to design shoes and make them in Italy
At a very young age I was driven by fashion and designing. At the age of five I was obsessed with shoes and clothes, I used to design my own dresses for different occasions, but shoes have always been the dream.
As a child, I had no idea that one could design shoes for a living and I remained oblivious to this fact until I was about 15. After choosing to pursue a career in events I always felt like there was so much missing. I secretly designed shoes in my free time after I moved to the UK and preserved my passion for creating shoes alive, while not being able to pursue it as career I fulfilled my dream by purchasing shoes a bit too often.
A few years later I relocated to Italy. I worked as in English teacher in Milan and as you already might know, Milan is the fashion capital of Italy. The dream that I had shoved to the back of my mind was now back, so I started researching, watching videos of how beautiful Italian shoes were made. I was in love with the magnificent designs of Manolo Blahnik, Casadei, Salvatore Ferragamo, Christian Louboutin and Giuseppe Zanotti and wanted to know how and where these shoes were made, obviously we all know where they are made and that is Italy. Italian craftsmanship is one of the best in the world, in fact I am led to believe that it is the best! Italian made shoes are well know all over the world, the phrase made in Italy brings a sparkle to everyone’s eyes.
Italian shoes are the finest because they are handmade, that’s not all. They are made using time honoured techniques and by highly skilled craftsmen. Artisans are able to create a great fit and make sure every detail is perfect when they work on shoes by hand, this is mainly because making shoes by hand is a slow process where every detail is paid attention to, we all know machines don’t work the same way your hands do. This precision and attention makes Italian made shoes unique and higher in quality. We all also know Italians are synonymous with style and quality.
I design every shoe with precision, knowing what I want and what my client wants. Every design I create is distinctive and never repeated and the artisans I work with are aware of this. Coordination and a great work relationship is key to making beautiful and high-quality shoes. That is what JC shoes are all about. I spend weeks with the artisan developing the designs I have created until they go into production and then again days on quality control. Working with artisans, you know you don’t have to worry about quality, because artisans value quality more than anything.
I will have to say, it wasn’t easy finding an artisan in Italy, but we did find one that is brilliant in what they do and hand make every pair of shoes from start to finish. The leather is cut by the artisan and not by a machine and that is what is vital. Hand work is imperative to me, this guarantees that every pair of shoe is well made and most of all comfortable.
Going back to the story of how I got in to footwear designing, after years and money spent on buying shoes my husband suggested that I make my own shoes, my first reaction was a loud chuckle, but then after giving it a bit more consideration I decided to google a few courses, after all I was living in Italy and what better place to learn shoe making/ designing. I stumbled upon a pattern making and prototyping course in Milan and decided I wanted to go there. Now comes the part where I had to be strong, because I had to work a few years before I could afford to do the course. So, I worked hard, very hard and collected money to pursue this dream that I dreamt about since I was 5. In 2017, I was finally in Milan moving into my rented apartment super excited to start what I always wanted to do. THE BEST EXPERINCE OF MY LIFE! I never loved doing anything as much I did this. Waking up every morning was amazing because I knew I was going to have yet another best day of my life. I knew then and still know now that this is what I want to do for the rest of my life.
Designing shoes is and will always be one of the greatest decisions of my life the one after I decided to marry my husband. 2017 was the best year of my life, because it is the year I married the love of my life and the year I followed the passion of my life, two best decisions of my life. My husband is the one that encouraged me to start my own brand and without his support I wouldn’t. All I can say is life is perfect.
Jerelyn Creado shoes is built on a foundation of passion and love for quality. All our shoes are handmade in Italy by medium scale artisans, we create one-off designs that are never repeated and we have great respect for a woman’s individuality. Be whatever you want to be and try not to be a follower.