Mima Lee – Walk This Way…

 

 

 

 

 

 The name Mima Lee comes from Jemma “it was my nickname, only the closest people in my life ever called me it, so I thought a special name for special shoes would be quite nice”. An intimate touch on the brand which encourages personality to shine through, but it doesn’t stop there, Mima Lee pay tribute to their customers by naming their shoes after the first lady who buys them. “I thought it was a nice touch and ladies really love it!!”

 

 

 

{mosimage} This brand is so original and different to the UK market, it really is a breath of fresh air, but how did it all start? Jemma explains; “We had spent some time in Italy where I found styles and designs that I believed were beautifully different and wondered if the English market would like them as much as I did. My enthusiasm over flowed for this project and suddenly before I knew it I was at the Milan Shoe Fair looking for suppliers who would offer me the opportunity to work with them, develop their styles and personalize them for my own company, Mima Lee. This was much harder than we imagined it to be, our orders were quite small to begin with and to get our shoes personally labeled was a real challenge. However, by the summer of 2006 our first collection had made its way to us from Italy and we started to test the market locally by holding private shoe parties.”

 

 

 

{mosimage} With a theme of beauty, these shoes will fly off the rails. “Ladies want sexy beautiful shoes, they want to feel gorgeous in whatever they wear and that’s what Mima Lee is all about”. Helping to create glamour and desire is a priority but alternatively Mima Lee shoes pride themselves on their customer service and the quality of their product. “Our manufactures are based in Italy, Spain and Brazil; they’re all very supportive of this new brand name, supplying us with incredibly well made shoes with a difference”. Jemma has spent 10 years managing a business that relied on quality customer care, leaving her more than experienced to drive Mima Lee to the top.

 

 

 

 Jemma has an instinctual love for style and colour; “I’m a girlie girl who loves sparkly beautiful things.” Studying Art & Design at Northamptonshire provided her with the freedom to express herself, collections have been inspired by so many different shoe gurus; “the obvious – Jimmy Choo is something Mima Lee aspires to, but I also think Gina shoes are simply wonderful. However we try to stay free of too much influence as we are trying to keep our style unique.”

 

 

 

 With so much choice available it’s hard to make a decision. So I asked Mima Lee what they might suggest; “recommendations, well I could go on and on but I think Claire is a great little shoe, it just goes with everything and is suitable for day or evening functions.”

 

 

 

 

 {mosimage}And what do the customers think? “Our best seller at the moment is from our evening range. Sophie and Lucinda have just been walking out the door. Our winter boots, Anya in particular have been really popular.” Jemma obviously loves all her creations but there’s one in particular that wins every time? “For me it would have to be the Monaco shoe with matching hand bag from the casino collection, I get so many compliments about them when I’m out its unbelievable!”

 

 

 

 

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 A delightful range of shoes and bags are at your disposal, but for more charitable shoppers why not invest in the Ysabella, described as a “little different but beautiful” and with every shoe purchase, Mima Lee will donate ten pounds to Breast Cancer Research.

 

 

 

 Your next shoe hit couldn’t be simpler with Mima Lee; they’ve created such an easy to use website. The display is gorgeous; it’s almost like gazing at the shoes through a shop window. It’s so easy to register and pay, causing no time restraints on your shopping. Plus they provide next day delivery!

 

 

 

 Alternatively why not get Mima Lee to come to you by booking a private shoe party, “they don’t cost a thing all the ladies need to do is invite around 20 friends, beautiful invitations are provided and off we go.” The added bonus of a party is that, as a thank you gift, the hostess receives a pair of shoes from a selected range. What more could you ask for!

 

 

Visit Mima Lee now at: www.mimalee.co.uk

 

 

 

By Laura Louise Frampton

frampton_laura@yahoo.com