Putting your best foot forward

Her focus was on shoes and handbags, as she realised that back home there was no real designer who specialised in these. There she spent a few months as an intern with Donna Karan, in the shoes and bag design department. Though she never actually met the New York8217;s fashion diva, the experience, she says, taught her about sketching and planning.

Armed with both practical and academic qualifications, she started on her own when she returned from the US. And aroundthis time last year, Rinaldi was born. The name has an Italian twist to it as all her materials are imported and the assembling is done here. quot;Rina Shah shoes and handbags8217; did not have the same impact, as Rinaldi,quot; she says. Rina often travels to Italy and America for purchasing her materials and 8212; for inspiration.

She designs shoes for both men and women and has an ethnic and a western line and her prices range between Rs 1,500 to Rs 5,000. And those who want something different can have Rina specially design shoes for them. Her designs are available at Ensemble, Oaktree, Melange and Vama. Says Oaktree8217;s Priya Ailawadi, quot;I have been stocking her shoes since last April. And they are doing very well.quot;

Despite the encouraging response she has received, Rina still feels that not enough importance is given to shoes and handbags. quot;A bride will spend lakhs on the outfit and forget about the shoes,quot; she says. She believes that equal importance should be given to what you wear on your feet as on your body.quot;Bad shoes can ruin an outfit,quot; she says.

Not that Rina is complaining when she started a year ago she never really expected the warm welcome she got from the fashion industry. quot;When I had my debut showing at the Oberoi, I expected most to say that I was too expensive,quot; she says. Now Rina works alongside many leading designers.

Currently, she is working on a range of shoes to be worn with Manish Malhotra8217;s designs which will be sold from a Napean Sea Road outlet, Reverie, later this year. Rina tries to work with designers as far as possible so that her accessories give designer outfits that finishing touch. quot;But sometimes that is not possible as I have to work a season ahead,quot; she says. And she admits that she does get ideas from international design houses such as Gucci and Versace. quot;I never copy their designs but I may pick up some idea from their work,quot; she says.

Rina hopes Rinaldi grows even more in the second year. Her focus now will be men8217;s shoes, as she believes that men are willing to becomemore funky with what they wear on their feet. She also hopes to start exporting some of her more ethnic looking shoes. And she could not have picked a better time with the eastern look being the rage in the west. But her real dream is to have her own shop one day, that sells only accessories. Her shop will be an accessories haven selling everything from stylish stationery to funky footwear. And who knows, at the rate at which Rina is going, maybe her dream will come true before she hits twenty-five!