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MASTRA MA’: HOW IT ALL STARTED
Hello, my name is Emanuela. I am the founder of Mastra Ma’, a company which creates beautiful luxury shoes the traditional Italian way. I would like to tell you a bit more about Mastra Ma’ and how it came to be.
I am very proud of Mastra Ma’, but being a luxury shoe designer wasn’t my dream as a girl. In fact, the only thing I was sure about, was that I wanted to live and work in London. I always did well in mathematics and statistics, so I decided to enrol into an Economics course at the University of Rome and, after graduating, ended up working for a financial institution in London.
I had never been to London before and yet, in no time, I felt at home. I truly enjoyed the eclectic, individual, diverse, vibrant and multicultural spirit of London. From the unique urban vibe of Shoreditch, to the fun atmosphere of Soho and the glamour of Mayfair, London has always inspired me and to this day it reverberates in each and every of my shoe designs. For the first few years I was busy meeting new people, finding new places, appreciating new cultures and building up my career in banking.
My professional life took a prominent place in my life. I am an avid learner who enjoys challenges. The long hours and commitment seldom felt like a sacrifice. What I really liked about my job was the search for excellence and value creation, a work ethic that’s now part of my psyche.
But the real cornerstone of my life was and still is my family. After ten years of learning and discovery and meeting my husband in the process, the two of us were joined by two lovely rascals, who made our lives even richer. As I grew professionally and personally and eventually felt that I wanted to create something out of nothing, my boys and husband were the real supporters.
When I told them that I wanted to leave banking to make gorgeous and comfortable shoes for women on-the-move, they thought it made perfect sense. When I announced that I wanted to get the shoes made in Italy, partnering with craftsman who love making shoes and using only the finest materials, they told me it was only fair, because all women deserve excellence. What still amazes me is their absolute certainty that I would achieve the high-quality footwear that I was after: they showed me the future whenever I had doubts.
And so it goes that Mastra Ma’ was officially born in 2018. Out of nothing really, exactly as I wanted it to be. I had trained in shoemaking for one year over weekends at the London College of Fashion, but besides that, I had no links to the fashion industry. At the beginning, finding partners, especially the right manufacturers, was the biggest challenge. But I like challenges, right? So, as with everything else, I took things in my stride and started cold calling factories in Italy out of the yellow pages, one by one, during my commute to work, until I found what I wanted. Mastra Ma’ shoes are entirely crafted in Italy by experienced artisans, whom we admire and respect. At Mastra Ma’, in fact, we are very proud to foster responsible and fair working partnerships!
The same persistence, structured approach and care drove me throughout the whole process: from the design, where I spent countless hours making sure that the features used to ensure comfort wouldn’t impact the timeless and vibrant aesthetic of the shoes, through the prototyping, where feedback on fit and design from women’s focussed discussions has been iteratively reflected in the final product, to the product testing, having personally worn the high heels for at least 12 hours every day, taking them to school runs, meetings, shopping and at least two walks per day with Han Solo, our lovely Golden Retriever (often in the rain… hey, it’s London after all!).
My objective has always been to create luxury footwear of real value to those who wear them and provide women with a reasonable option to fast fashion. Mastra Ma’ shoes are designed for longevity. They are meant to last and be the staple of a capsule wardrobe, as immune as they are to volatile à la mode trends. They are tailored to any woman who wants to look smart and feel comfortable at any occasion.
I also have another objective… or wish, should I say. I’d like for Mastra Ma’ to be an effective platform to communicate, among other things, how important it is to appreciate our own abilities and persevere in the achievement of our goals. And this message is right at the core of the first Mastra Ma’ collection, with each shoe being dedicated to women in my life whom I truly love and admire, for many reasons. These include their resilience in the face of adversities and kindness that makes them even stronger.
I have so many things that I would like to share with you, but for now, I just wanted to give you a glimpse of the dedication that goes into all Mastra Ma’ shoes, with the hope that you will love them as much as I do.
Emanuela
PS: if you’d like to know more about Mastra Ma’ please visit our Home Page. You can also take a look at our beautiful High Heels, Ankle Boots and Oxford Shoes.
Hello, my name is Emanuela. I am the founder of Mastra Ma’, a company which creates beautiful luxury shoes the traditional Italian way. I would like to tell you a bit more about Mastra Ma’ and how it came to be.
I am very proud of Mastra Ma’, but being a luxury shoe designer wasn’t my dream as a girl. In fact, the only thing I was sure about, was that I wanted to live and work in London. I always did well in mathematics and statistics, so I decided to enrol into an Economics course at the University of Rome and, after graduating, ended up working for a financial institution in London.
I had never been to London before and yet, in no time, I felt at home. I truly enjoyed the eclectic, individual, diverse, vibrant and multicultural spirit of London. From the unique urban vibe of Shoreditch, to the fun atmosphere of Soho and the glamour of Mayfair, London has always inspired me and to this day it reverberates in each and every of my shoe designs. For the first few years I was busy meeting new people, finding new places, appreciating new cultures and building up my career in banking.
My professional life took a prominent place in my life. I am an avid learner who enjoys challenges. The long hours and commitment seldom felt like a sacrifice. What I really liked about my job was the search for excellence and value creation, a work ethic that’s now part of my psyche.
But the real cornerstone of my life was and still is my family. After ten years of learning and discovery and meeting my husband in the process, the two of us were joined by two lovely rascals, who made our lives even richer. As I grew professionally and personally and eventually felt that I wanted to create something out of nothing, my boys and husband were the real supporters.
When I told them that I wanted to leave banking to make gorgeous and comfortable shoes for women on-the-move, they thought it made perfect sense. When I announced that I wanted to get the shoes made in Italy, partnering with craftsman who love making shoes and using only the finest materials, they told me it was only fair, because all women deserve excellence. What still amazes me is their absolute certainty that I would achieve the high-quality footwear that I was after: they showed me the future whenever I had doubts.
And so it goes that Mastra Ma’ was officially born in 2018. Out of nothing really, exactly as I wanted it to be. I had trained in shoemaking for one year over weekends at the London College of Fashion, but besides that, I had no links to the fashion industry. At the beginning, finding partners, especially the right manufacturers, was the biggest challenge. But I like challenges, right? So, as with everything else, I took things in my stride and started cold calling factories in Italy out of the yellow pages, one by one, during my commute to work, until I found what I wanted. Mastra Ma’ shoes are entirely crafted in Italy by experienced artisans, whom we admire and respect. At Mastra Ma’, in fact, we are very proud to foster responsible and fair working partnerships!
The same persistence, structured approach and care drove me throughout the whole process: from the design, where I spent countless hours making sure that the features used to ensure comfort wouldn’t impact the timeless and vibrant aesthetic of the shoes, through the prototyping, where feedback on fit and design from women’s focussed discussions has been iteratively reflected in the final product, to the product testing, having personally worn the high heels for at least 12 hours every day, taking them to school runs, meetings, shopping and at least two walks per day with Han Solo, our lovely Golden Retriever (often in the rain… hey, it’s London after all!).
My objective has always been to create luxury footwear of real value to those who wear them and provide women with a reasonable option to fast fashion. Mastra Ma’ shoes are designed for longevity. They are meant to last and be the staple of a capsule wardrobe, as immune as they are to volatile à la mode trends. They are tailored to any woman who wants to look smart and feel comfortable at any occasion.
I also have another objective… or wish, should I say. I’d like for Mastra Ma’ to be an effective platform to communicate, among other things, how important it is to appreciate our own abilities and persevere in the achievement of our goals. And this message is right at the core of the first Mastra Ma’ collection, with each shoe being dedicated to women in my life whom I truly love and admire, for many reasons. These include their resilience in the face of adversities and kindness that makes them even stronger.
I have so many things that I would like to share with you, but for now, I just wanted to give you a glimpse of the dedication that goes into all Mastra Ma’ shoes, with the hope that you will love them as much as I do.
Emanuela
PS: if you’d like to know more about Mastra Ma’ please visit our Home Page. You can also take a look at our beautiful High Heels, Ankle Boots and Oxford Shoes.