Interview with Sonia Parizzi

Sonia Parizzi attended the Five-Day Intensive Shoemaking Course in Berkeley about a year ago. She had been involved in the footwear business as a designer, but this was the first time that she made a pair of shoes. We have found her experience very inspiring and we wanted to interview her to find out more about the process of becoming and being a designer.

Prescott & Mackay: Please tell us something about your background and what has led you to become a designer?

Sonia Parizzi: I was lucky to be born as a designer and artist. At the age of 4, I was already painting fabric, and continued until the age of 14. I attended French pattern and sewing classes, started selling to friends, and soon to an increasingly affluent clientele. I also painted Huge Facades.

After graduating as an Industrial Designer, I started to sell my own clothing ‘Sonia P & Sonia L’ to the best boutiques. The next step was ‘Sonia Parizzi’ brand going into shoes. All over Brazil, I was in charge of the Design and Marketing, including design for other brands such as ‘Alpargatas’, which manufactures the renowned ‘Havaianas’.

Coliriozz

P&M: What is the idea behind your designs? What does your brand try to tell people and what makes you unique?

SP: I just followed colour trends: my heart was the trend, and I was recognized as a trend launcher. The brand started to appear everywhere and it was constantly published in all magazines, such Vogue, W and Elle, as well as TV interviews and at fashion shows in New York. I was even invited to sell at Bergdoff Goodman, but I could not produce the amount they required.

P&M: How did the idea of making your own shoes come into your mind and why chose Prescott & Mackay?

SP: I was looking for the best and found it. Their resumes are impressive.

P&M: Please tell us your experience at the San Francisco shoe class and what you have learnt.

SP: I learnt how to make a pattern, mount a shoe by hand and the use of new materials in the market. Melissa Needham was a great teacher whose patience is tremendous as well as her knowledge. She is also a good and pleasant person.

Zelebrazz

P&M: Please give some advice to people who are interested in shoe and bag design, particularly those who want to start up their businesses.

SP:  Push your creation from inside out and to the unthinkable. Also, make a brand that reflects your personality. If you knock door to door selling it, you will get noticed. Negative answers are awful, but make us stronger. It is fundamental to take short classes in Marketing and Administration or to pay someone to do it, a friend can helps at the beginning.  Upon finding an investor, negotiates a good contract: we are not slaves.

Sonia has sent us some pictures from her designs. The models Conliriozz and Zelebrazz are designed for silicone or plastic shoes, where the colour white means to be transparent. She manufactured the Yellow’zz in Brazil many years ago, remaining like a kind of Converse sandal. When she moved to the USA, she had two interviews with them, but even when though it was a great prospect, it did not work because she could not move to Boston.

Yellowzz

Sonia is currently creating a new great line and looking for investors in the USA, meanwhile she has not stopped appearing in magazines and newspapers.

Prescott & Mackay runs Two-Day Beginners Shoemaking and Five-Day Intensive Shoemaking in Berkeley, San Francisco throughout the year, and the next courses are scheduled for April 2013.

Student Success Story: Starlet and Her HandBag Collection Meridian

Starlet Susilo who lives in Bay Area, California has a blog Can You Come Home. In this dream space she puts her love to nature and fashion naturally together and an idea of fashion business starts to come into shape.  Recently, she has taken P&M’s Five-day Intensive Shoemaking Course in Berkeley to add more up to her creative business venture.

Our Student: Starlet

This month we are delighted to reveal that Starlet has launched her bag label Meridian 110, using batik from her homeland of Indonesian as a focal textile and is especially inspired by it’s botanical elements and colour palette.  Here is her story!

P&M:  Please make an introduction of your blog. 
 
Starlet: I started my blog as a way to catalogue my adventure as an accidental gardener and a new homeowner. My husband and I bought a house last year that came with the most wonderful garden filled with all kinds of fruit trees and edibles.  In the beginning, our mission was simply not to kill them (ha!). Several successful harvests later, we are hooked to continuously grow the greens. Although I am still a rookie, I really enjoy having dirt under my nails and singing to my plants.

Grapes from Starlet's Garden

 
If gardening & nesting is an interest that I picked up along the way, fashion is my obsession since for like ever. With the time I spent meddling and learning in the garden, intuitively I started connecting the dots between the outdoor and the runway. I see fashion in the nature and vice versa. This passion fruit flower post is one of the readers’ favorites. Nowadays, you’ll find a mixed bag of home, garden, fashion and design stories and inspirations at Can You Come Home. 
 
P&M:  When and how did you come up with the idea of designing or making shoes?

Starlet: It’s a project that came from a casual late night chat with my brother. I’ve always had tons of creative ideas, while he’s always the business savvy one. We both need a more tangible outlet for my love for fashion and his business curiosity, so we decided to start a handbag collection. We choose to use Indonesian batik cloths as an integral part of the design. Batik is something that is very near and dear to us, because our grandmother ran a successful business making and selling these gorgeous fabrics. You can say that we are simply trying to do a derivative of a family business.  On top of that, as gardening is something that I do almost daily, I savor the fact that batik showcases botanical elements & colors in its pattern.

Vintage batik fabric, with which Starlet has made a clutch

 
When talking handbags, shoes are always within the scope. I see shoes as an extension of my creative business venture in the long run. As I am designing my handbags, I always see the matching pair of shoes for the future!

P&M:  How did you find Prescott & Mackay? Could you please describe your experience in the shoemaking class?
 
Starlet: I was searching for handbag making workshops to grow my knowledge and skillset and Prescott & Mackay came up as the leader in the field. When I saw that you offer an intensive shoe making class in Berkeley, I immediately jumped on it.
 

Shoes will be a product diversification in the future of this project, so I knew I made the right investment. Melissa’s class was a fresh eye opener. She took us (students) to the other side of the world behind a beautiful pair of shoes. I benefitted from having an access to her expertise and real industry experience. She held our hands step by step throughout the process of bringing our design from vision to life. I got to understand all the intricate parts of what makes not just good-looking shoes; but also things that factor into fit, comfort, and cost. Coming out of the class, I felt super inspired and more confident knowing that I have learned the language that enables me to communicate within the industry.

P&M: Could you please tell us the biggest difficulty/challenge you have met
concerning your handbag business launch so far?

Starlet: The unknown, the uncertainty, the anticipation, and the expectation.
I think they are pretty self-explanatory, no? 🙂

Meridian 110: AM collection

P&M: So, what’s your dream in the future?

Starlet: I wish to run a successful fashion business focusing on limited production pieces that are special. I want each piece to be glowing from that extra love, detailed process and attention that go into making them.
 
On a parallel world, I also know of plenty super talented designers who have not fully jumped into the world of Internet, whether it’s online market places, social media, or other online tools. It’d be great to collaborate with the creative community by sharing my online knowledge & experience to navigate through the wild wide web, so we all can really leverage the technology to grow.
 
I am dreaming of being creative without limitation; combining fashion, nature, tech – and make ‘em work, collaborating with passionate artisans, to inspire and be inspired, and waking up each morning knowing that I’ll be doing what I absolutely love.

Bags from Meridian 110: Bowling Collection

P&M: Why not give some advices to people who are interested in shoes and bag design, particularly those who want to start up their own businesses?
 
Starlet: Three things:
 
1.     Do your homework. Research, learn, and plan – you need to know what you’re getting yourself into.
2.     Try not to be too perfectionist about small things and too critical of yourself.
If you’re waiting until everything is perfect – you won’t be launching your business ever. (I know it is easier said than done).
3.     Do what you are passionate about and do it passionately. Really. Because when you have this attitude, you will commit, you will stick to it no matter what – and you will work above and beyond to achieve what you are going for.

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We love Starlet’s passion and hope that you are inpired by her story.  Here’s the link to her blog and her handbag collections:

Starlet’s Blog: http://www.canyoucomehome.com/

Handbag – Meridian 110’s website: www.meridian110.com

Student Success Story: Velieris & Co. by Michael Stosky

Student Michael Stosky who took the Five-Day Intensive Shoe making Class in 2009 in Berkley CA with the school principal, Melissa Needham, came back to us before Christmas with a great news: he has just launched his own shoe line: Velieris & Co!

Shoe Label: Velieris & Co

The word Velieris (velie-ris) is Latin for ‘fleece’, which is derived from the historical principal of a shoe’s intent, which is to protect the body from environmental factors. Michael endeavors to design shoes that are comfortable and fit the foot while looking great at the same time. “I want to bypass the uncomfortable process of having to ‘break in’ the shoes before you can wear them and feel good in them,” says Michael.

C.E.O. & Creative Director: Michael Stosky

“I started out back in 2009 when I was on the campus of The Ohio State University and I saw two particular types of shoes that almost every girl wore on campus and so I came up with the idea of a hybrid version of both of the styles and it eventually evolved into a luxury shoe line from there. ” explains Michael about how the whole idea started.

Velieris Look Book SS 2012

“I want to create a luxury shoe brand that is of equal, if not better quality in craftsmanship and materials used within each design that can be comparable to other top luxury brands, but more affordable.  The world is going through an economic downturn right now and I want the people who are used to buying luxury but cannot afford it due to cut backs financially or whatever is on their plate to be able to still afford the luxury but at a cost that they would be comfortable with.”

He then found Prescott and Mackay through online research. “It’s tough to find a shoemaking class in the United States and once I saw what all they did, I just felt this would be a great class to go to. I learned so much just by making a pair of shoes that I can now communicate with the manufacturers to get the samples perfect after the first round of the prototype process. Melissa told me of some great ideas on getting materials for my shoes and showed me what is needed to be put into every construction of every shoe. The detail that she went into on every portion of the shoe creation, made me learn what it really takes to create a quality pair. I would most definitely refer people who wanted to get into shoe design to take these courses through Prescott and Mackay just because of how much they can learn from the experience.”

The Velieris Italian Leather Collection

Michael’s dream is to open a couple of boutiques featuring his line throughout the world and be as successful at Christian Louboutin and be known as a superior designer within the luxury shoe market. How would he advise people who want to start up their own footwear business? “Research as much as possible from resourcing a manufacturer to marketing your line and plan about 3 years before you actually launch your line,” says Michael, “you want to take your time and make sure that every aspect within your business is top notch so when you do launch your line, you are well prepared for whatever gets put in your way as an issue.”

“Starting up a company like this is like having a baby, you have to put it before anything and never lack in progress or your baby will never grow and it will struggle to stay alive. So if you help it grow, it will help you grow as a stronger business owner and person by heart in the future. There will be so many challenges you will be faced with, but if you stay strong, you will only grow to be a better business person and be more knowledgeable within the business.”

Are you feeling encouraged by Michael’s story? Don’t miss the upcoming shoe making courses in the USA: 
5-Day Intensive Shoemaking Class on Jan 23-27, 2012
2-Day Beginners Shoemaking Class on Jan 28-29, 2012 

Visi Michael’s website here: http://www.velierisandcompany.com/home.php

Wishing Michael and everyone who is reading this blog entry a happy Christmas and successful new year!

How to make a pair of shoes? P&M launches the first video on YouTube

The first course video from Prescott & Mackay is ready for everyone!

We now release a six-minute video shot directly from one of our 5-day intensive shoemaking class in our studio in London this August. One student in the video has experience of making men’s shoes, two students have crafting experience, while the others are complete beginners. However, they all grasp skills quickly at P&M and seem so professional in the video! Enjoy it and get ready to learn these skills in real in the class.

More videos about P&M’s courses will come, if you tell us that you want to watch more! Please vote by leaving comments below.

P&M’s five-day courses about learning how to make shoes are available in the following cities/countries:

• Five-Day Shoemaking – Intensive, Melbourne, Australia
• Five-Day Shoemaking – Intensive, Berkeley, USA
• Five-Day Shoemaking – Intensive, London, UK

Prescott & Mackay in Finland

Finnish students’ work after the 5-day class

These shoes are made by students who took P&M’s Five-Day Intensive Shoemaking course in Jyvaskyla, Finland this summer. Well, we haven’t started a satellite course in Finland yet – it was Jamk University Of Applied Science, School Of Business And Service Management who invited Melissa, our principal, to teach there. We are thrilled by the finished shoes: they look so well finished, original and creative. 

JAMK in Jyväskylä region and Central Finland

If readers don’t know about Jyvaslyia, here is some background information. The city is the home town of Aki Choklat –  one of our lecturers at P&M. Aki is so successful in the footwear industry that he is a household name there. Once the University heard that he lectured with Prescott & Mackay, 2 years ago they invited him and Melissa to give a short presentation to the students about P&M’s work. They then invited Melissa back to teach the 5 day intensive shoemaking class this summer. Aki also held a session there on Slow Design.

Students at the course

The course was open to both University students and non University students so there was was quite a varied mix of people attending. Some with fashion training and others with more broader craft skills. But they were all very accomplished makers one way or another so each brought their own skills to the task of shoemaking, even though  none had done it before. So the standard was very high and as a consequence they pushed the bar as far as the general level of work they produced during the 5 days.

One student's work: vintage effect

The students were all very creative in choosing what materials to use. Jyvaslyia is 3 hours north of Helsinki and availability of leather and woven fabric is not as wide as perhaps somewhere like London, so many of the students breathed new life into vintage pieces by recycling the leather from clothing or picking off details to use as surface decoration on their shoes. The effects were very original and inventive. 

The course content was very much the same as the Intense Shoemaking class that P&M runs in London and San Francisco (and soon to be Melbourne, if you don’t know yet, check the class schedule about how to make shoes in Australia here) apart from the course started at 8am – very early! But according to Melissa, it gave her plenty of chance to explore that part of Finland which is fascinating and make full use of the warm hospitality the Fins extended to her. Apart from Aki, Jyvaslyia is also home town to another famous Fin – Alvar Aalto – who designed some of the most architecturally recognised buildings of his era and spent much of his career working on projects based in the surrounding area. “So that in itself added an extra touch of interest to what was for me a very pleasurable trip to Finland,” said Melissa.

one student's work: taking advantage of vintage material

What do you think? Leave us a comment if you like our Finnish students’ work! 

 

Prescott & Mackay recent USA Footwear Courses

At the beginning of November, Melissa Needham (our Principle and founder) and Aki Choklat (renowned Shoe Designer) taught 2 of our footwear courses in the USA.

Melissa taught the ever-popular Five Day Intensive Shoemaking Course, which covers all the elements of making a fully closed shoe and aspects of pattern cutting and design.  Check out these photos of our wonderful US students and their magnificent creations.

The classes are always such fun when we visit the US and the students really immerse themselves in the craft of shoemaking and create an easy, relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere.

Aki has developed a new Intensive Introduction to Footwear Design Course specifically for our US students.  This takes elements from our three seminars already available in the UK, Footwear Design, Interpretation of Design and Footwear Production as well as allowing our US students to experience some of Aki’s vast knowledge and passion in this area.

This is the first time Aki has taught with us in the US and we hope not the last, see our 2010 course schedule for more details of upcoming courses.

As a final word, we must say how impressed we are with the dedication of our students, with many people travelling from as far as Canada, Maryland and Georgia to follow their dreams.  We hope that Prescott & Mackay has helped you on your first steps into the life of shoemaking and designing.