Q&A
programme in season. Having said that Caprice is also brilliant and my most profitable brand so they should feature too!
How do you select your products – which criteria do you use / what are your customers looking for?
Everything I buy must look good, feel good and not cost an arm or a leg. If it’s a bit different as well, that’s a bonus!
Which footwear/fashion shows do you attend, how do you rate them? Are you planning to attend a Show next year, if so, which one? I used to rate MODA, but sadly they appear to have sidelined footwear completely. So, well done Footwear Today for picking up the slack! I’ve been to both shows so far and they’ve been brilliant. I also rate MICAM, even if it is much smaller than when I started off in the trade. But there are 3 or 4 suppliers that I stock who don’t visit the UK so it’s worth the trip to see them. Plus, it’s the best show to get a good overview on the likely trends for the next year.
Do you have a favourite footwear agent you can tell us about? Hmmmmmm, that’s another tricky question, as I work with so many fabulous agents. However, I can pick two who got me out of a right pickle a few years ago on my last day at MICAM. I’d left my suitcase on one of my suppliers’ stands so I didn’t have to lug it around with me all day. Sadly, I had such a good day that time ran away with me a bit, so I was a couple of minutes late getting back to the stand. To find it securely locked! I tried calling the agent - no reply, and asking security if they had a master key to the stands. Seemingly not! At which point I panicked slightly as I needed to get to Bergamo airport in about 3 hours! Happily, when I checked my handbag it contained my passport, car and shop keys, flight tickets and just about enough money for the metro and bus, so I made my flight with minutes to spare.
The next day I called the agent from the UK to try to work out how to get my suitcase home - and he still didn’t pick up! Luckily Fabrizio Corsini from Ska and Lui Jo shoes did - and he coopted Rob Sewell from Art shoes and Chris Dent from Cocoon Partners, who chucked my bag in with their samples when the show was over. Rob even delivered the bag to my home!
34 • FOOTWEAR TODAY • JUNE 2023
Have you always had a passion for footwear? How many pairs of shoes do you own? Do you have a favourite pair? Oh yes, shoes have always been my thing! Before Modish I had about 130 pairs – I’ve since whittled it down to about 60 pairs (probably more!) Favourites must be my wedding shoes by Hogl – silver art deco inspired pointy heels!
Any famous customers?
A few, but more commonly I supply the mums of famous people – most recently Ben Wishaw’s mother, who needed a pair for the BAFTAs!
How do you think the Government could best help footwear retailers at this difficult time, i.e., lower business rates, rents, VAT etc?
To give them some credit, Business rates have gone down a lot in the time that I’ve had my shops - but until it is removed completely, I can’t see how we can compete with online shops. The other thing I’d love to see is a significant increase in the basic income tax threshold. To me it seems crazy that part time employees on the minimum wage start paying tax once they work 3 days a week.
Do you have any plans for the future?
In the first month or two of the COVID lockdown I really wondered if this was what I wanted to be doing with my working life. I’m sure a lot of people felt the same! But the reception I got from my customers when we reopened was incredible - they really cared about us, and I was incredibly touched. That’s given me a whole new level of enthusiasm about having the shops and right now I have no plans to do anything else!
Contact
Sarah Decent, Tel: 01223 354436 Email:
enquiries@modishonline.co.uk web:
Modishonline.co.uk Facebook modishlovesshoes Instagram modishlovesshoes
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