INTERVIEW In conversation with…
CAROLINE SHEPPARD
XTI is an international beacon of footwear trends; its sister brand, Carmela, is no different. Both offer high quality leather and vegan leather affordable footwear. Here, UK Agent, Caroline Sheppard, tells Footwear Today about the brands’ places in the market, and her own personal journey through the industry.
Q&A
Q: So what’s new with you? Caroline Sheppard: I have just relaunched my own website – carolinesheppardfashionagency.
co.uk – which offers people an insight into my brand representation experience, acting as a central point for buyers to view and purchase from a variety of labels. I also talk about the consultancy side of the business, conducting market research to understand current trends and buyer preferences, helping brands to tailor their offerings.
C
aroline Sheppard is the UK Agent for XTI and Carmela, having been involved in the footwear sector for more than 20 years. Her footwear and fashion agency is now 14 years old and despite the challenges that the last few years have delivered she has created and maintained strong relationships with her customers. She even recently introduced an ath-leisure brand, called Original Creator, into the mix.
After 20 years representing wholesale footwear and apparel brands in the UK, Caroline recognised the need amongst her independent customers to have a go-to e-commerce agency – a specialist in the footwear and appeared
field to be able to provide a safe space to recommend digital marketing services. She joined forces with Modular Commerce, the Founders Matt Walsh and James Radford she had known and worked with whilst at Clarks. Continuing to represent XTI, Carmela footwear in addition to the ath-leisure brand Original Creator, Caroline combines her wealth of retailing experience, brings her customers into the omnichannel arena and helps them navigate this online space.
With now nearly 60 customers on board, made up of footwear brands, independent boutiques, sports shops and footwear retailers, the business continues to grow…
When it comes to my brands, both XTI and Carmela offer two collections per year ranging from shoes, boots, sandals, slippers and wellies, depending on the season, plus a collection of handbags that sit alongside the ranges. We have 12 designers based in Spain who collaborate to produce collections which offer a fashion story with unparalleled comfort, whilst delivering excellent margins for our customers. We have numerous certifications under AMFORI & Carbon Footprint standards and quality standards in ethical practices, environmental protection and human rights.
Some of our best sellers in recent years are our western boots; these have a fantastic play on feminine handwriting whilst using metallic and leather combos. Feedback from our retail buyers has been extremely encouraging; they tell us “as soon as their customer becomes a
14 • FOOTWEAR TODAY • JUNE 2025
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