There are 10 books on my bedside table at the moment. It’s quite a daunting pile of books; most are very thick and serious looking, but it’s also an incredibly exciting collection too. They are all about social entrepreneurship, microfinance and corporate responsibility: all topics close to my heart and ones that I want to […]
The 2nd year: it’s time to get serious!
I cut myself a bit of slack in my first year of business. After all, I had just left a secure career to establish a shoe shop from scratch in five months with no experience in retail or in the shoe industry. So I figured that in my first year of operations I would simply […]
Behind the Brand: Diana Ferrari and Supersoft
Coco Chanel is her hero and she describes the Diana Ferrari and Supersoft showroom as a temple, such is the love of fashion and footwear of Product Development Manager Sharon Teuma. With more than 20 years’ experience in design, Sharon explains below just how important it is to achieve fashion, function and fit with every […]
What a difference 12 months can make
This is a slightly extended version of a speech I made at The Shoe Garden’s 1st birthday celebrations on 14 April 2013. I had a dream a few nights ago that I was sitting at my desk at The Shoe Garden and talking to a man on the phone. He had bought a pair of […]
It’s not just hot cross buns…
Every year, the media do stories in January purporting outrage that hot cross buns have appeared on supermarket shelves already. The implication is that we have just had Christmas and already retailers are thinking ahead to Easter and associated products to sell while the occasion is still several months away. Well, it’s not just hot […]
Behind the Brand: J.Renee
Kai Harrison, the head designer of US shoe label J.Renee, clearly adores his parents who have taught him not just about designing and selling shoes, but how to do so with honesty and integrity. Kai embraces creativity in all aspects of his life … from his open plan studio where he and his team […]
Meeting the accountant
Numbers scare me! I can’t help it. I see a spreadsheet and I start to feel queasy. Over the last 10 years, when I was responsible for managing large fundraising and communications budgets, I learned to quell my nerves and give the numbers meaning. I find myself again staring at spreadsheets, ever since deciding to […]
Behind the Brand: Minx
I think it is the journalist in me but I’m always fascinated by people and want to know more about them! I am proud to stock a variety of labels at The Shoe Garden but who are the people behind the brands. This is the first in an ongoing series of Behind the Brand — speaking […]
Not bored but inspired!
When I first decided to open a shoe shop, a few people asked me whether or not I thought I would get bored. In fact, one friend asked me just last week. So far … no way! I’m having too much fun, learning new things all the time and I love every moment. I guess […]
The neverending search for stock
People often ask me: “where and how do you source your stock?”. They visit the shop and are amazed that there are, in fact, so many lovely, longer shoes available but I do have to search high and low for them, often I pay higher prices for them and sometimes only a small portion of […]