FASHION 113
Augusta Fuchsia Pink Slingback Pumps , £ 425.00 Aurora Silver Sandals , £ 435.00
4 . Sustainability is something that you are very passionate about , how do you implement this into your brand ?
Sustainability is hugely important in our brand , and we are proud to speak about our genuine sustainability actions . There are so many fashion brands who state that they are sustainable when they are not or do very little and this ‘ greenwashing ’ is having a very negative impact on those brands who really are doing what they can to be responsible to the planet .
To be honest , how to be a sustainable brand wasn ’ t something I knew absolutely 100 % about when I launched Rosamund Muir . Knowledge grew with experience over the first six months of the brand . For example , I didn ’ t plan at first to use only surplus stock leathers as I didn ’ t know so much excess leather stock existed . Surplus stock leathers are leathers which have been overproduced for other brands , and at Rosamund Muir , we source the most premium of these surplus stock leathers from Italy . It was on my first visit to a tannery in Italy where I saw huge piles of skins in all colours and patterns . I knew then that I didn ’ t want to add to this huge excess nor contribute to water consumption , energy consumption or chemical pollution through the tanning process . We only source by product leathers too which are waste from the meat industry and totally disagree with animals being bred only for their skins ( for example , crocodile , snake , lizard ).
As a result of sourcing only surplus stock leathers , it means we only produce our footwear in small batches as we have low quantities of leather . We love this as it means our footwear is more exclusive for our customers . We have a zero-waste policy too and any off cuts of leather which are too small for us to use , are given to local schools for art and craft purposes .
All our boxes are strong , sturdy recyclable boxes , designed to last and for our customers to always keep their footwear protected in . We use only organic cotton bags and there is no plastic in our packaging .
5 . Have you always had a passion for footwear or was it something you discovered whilst studying ?
Yes , absolutely , I have always been a total shoeaholic . My mum and grandmother were too , and the apple definitely didn ’ t fall far from the tree ! My first memory of loving shoes was walking around in my grandmother ’ s block heel loafers from a young age . I loved the sound of them on the stone floor ! I used to save my pocket money and Christmas money gifts and buy shoes . There was a fabulous old style shoe shop in my local town , and I loved the smell of the leather walking in . My love for shoes never faded and I was known for my love of heels at university , often being the only one in heels in lectures ! My friends used to tease me thinking that they were impractical but that didn ’ t faze me . In fact , throughout my twenties , thirties and forties , there have been many times when my choice in footwear has received negative reactions for apparently being impractical for day to day wear . I remember another mum calling me out publicly in front of the primary school my boys attended when I was pregnant with my daughter . I felt mortified as if I was being called out for being a bad mum . I have never forgotten that particular experience and only served as a catalyst for me to start my own brand with its strong ethos ’.
6 . What is the best way to describe the brand Rosamund Muir ?
Rosamund Muir is a genuinely sustainable luxury heeled women ’ s footwear brand handcrafting footwear filled with spirit and designed to empower women to embrace how they feel feminine in their own style and individuality .
Issue 58 2023 THE ART OF LUXURY