On a quest for the perfect footwear, Emily Amelia Inglis has hit her stride and our feet are set to reap the benefits.
Overnight success seems like a mythical concept and mostly it is, but in the world of Instagram, anything is possible, just ask Emily Amelia Inglis.
Of course there are hiccups, tears, panic attacks and long days that stretch into late nights but when you’re on to something, sometimes the world does coming knocking at your door overnight. At least they did for Emily Amelia Inglis, who founded footwear label Studio Amelia in 2019 and has already garnered fans from across the globe.
“Ultimately, I had had enough of spending money, then more money, on sandals that just didn’t completely meet my needs, or expectations,” Inglis tells Vogue of launching the footwear line that champions utility and design, in a neat sleek package of wearable sandals, with slides and heels to come.
“For as long as I can remember, I’ve desired a sandal that was contemporary without being too trend-driven, elegant but not too girly and of course, beautiful quality but a wise and workable investment,” says the designer.
Studio Amelia footwear. Image credit: Studio Amelia
After receiving her first prototype, Inglis decided to get a little feedback from her 30-something followers on Instagram.
“Due to my rather limited audience at the time (I still refuse to buy followers), I decided to promote the post for around $10 that night,” Inglis recalls, adding, “When I came to the next morning, to put it simply, my world had changed.”
“Within a few hours I’d been DM’d by the buyers at Net-A-Porter and Moda Operandi, and the likes, [and received] comments and messages from women around the world that I myself had followed for years. [It] was utterly overwhelming.”
“By November, I found myself back home in London meeting with Net-A-Porter (yes, my mum waited outside for me nervously) and from then on I was in constant conversation with several of the world’s most powerful retailers,” Inglis continues.
What followed was a few fraught months of 22-hour work days, chardonnay, “violent waves of panic followed by deep breathing and the stench of lavender oil in an attempt to calm myself the hell down” and orders from the world’s leading retailers.
Collection 01 dropped in May 2019, with four contemporary sandal shapes in four useful colourways (red, white, black and nude) and it only gets better from there, with Inglis teasing new colours and shapes on the brand’s Instagram account, including chic slides, pared-back thongs and metallic sandals, out October 2019.
Studio Amelia footwear. Image credit: Studio Amelia
Inglis’s main goal was to produce a versatile ‘flat’ that she would want to wear and, hopefully, others would too and having achieved that and struck a chord with buyers and their clients, Inglis is thriving.
“Look for timeless styles and silhouettes and avoid the heavily trend-driven designs which end up becoming dated quicker,” Inglis advises on the shoe scouting front.
“You’re wearing something that is in contact with the ground all day, so you really need to look at pieces that have had a lot of thought go into them and the quality of the workmanship; always look for padded insoles and lined straps,” the designer says.
On receiving her first reorder from one big retailer, Inglis admits to Vogue she finally let herself enjoy the success after months of hard work.
“I cried (and drank) a great deal that day and finally, let myself enjoy that high!”
And honestly, what better high is there than a shoe high?
