- Her Ceylon Founder Amanda Perera on shoemaking, designing, and inspiration
By Venessa Anthony
Amanda Perera is a 27-year-old who pursued her passion for fashion and eventually became quite successful at her craft.
A couple of years ago, in 2018 to be precise, one of Amanda’s closest relatives was getting married and wanted a comfortable custom-made pair of bridal shoes for her special day, as well as shoes for her retinue. However, all her bridesmaids were taller than her, which meant that the height of the heels would have to be different, but the design and colour had to be the same.
Amanda took it upon herself to visit many shops she thought would cater to this requirement, with no luck. It was at this point that she realised that there were very limited options for bridal shoes in the market, especially for brides with very specific requirements.
The styles they came across, although pretty, were commonly available at several stores, making it harder to find something unique that fit her cousin’s taste. Amanda then began doing her research and once she familiarised herself with the process, designed the shoes herself and had them made for her cousin and the retinue. It turned out just as she had hoped it would, with the exact design she had in mind, and more importantly, the shoes were comfortable.
Everything escalated from the day of the wedding. She received many orders for custom-made shoes from family members who attended the wedding. As things picked up, it grew into a thriving business and before she knew it, she opened her own online store – Her Ceylon.
The Morning Brunch had a chat with Amanda on her journey into shoe making, discovering a newfound passion, and more.
Since you operate a handmade brand, what is the process behind making shoes?
The process to customise a pair of shoes starts by listing down the specifications the client would require; they can also provide us with an image as a reference. Looking at the details, we offer the client a quote. If the client is happy, we schedule a meeting for measurements, or if travelling is difficult, I send a size template.
Once I receive the measurements, I prepare a fit-on, which is the skeleton of the shoe. I then meet up with the client to try it on and make sure it fits perfectly, and if any adjustments are required, they will be noted down during this step and fixed. After the fit-on, I take about a week to complete the product and deliver it. The entire process takes about 2.5 weeks.
Do you design the shoes, and where does your inspiration for the designs come from?
Yes, I design the shoes according to the client’s wishes, offering my suggestions when needed. As these are custom-made shoes, every order varies from client to client, so when designing the shoes, I make sure to include all the elements requested by the client. Since I have some experience in the trade, I also see to it that all the elements complement each other to make a perfect pair of shoes!
This might sound strange, but I feel I receive the most inspiration from my clients! When I first hear what they have in mind, I start to put together vivid images and that immediately gives me so many unique ideas for new styles and designs.
Do you offer customisable options?
Her Ceylon specialises in custom-made shoes for a variety of ages, ranging from babies of up to 12 months to ladies’ size 48. Most ladies that have plus-sized feet find it really difficult to purchase comfortable footwear that fits their feet and suits their taste. This is where we come in and fill this gap, by not only giving them high-quality shoes that fit, but also ones that look like anything they want them to be, in any colour, for any occasion!
In addition, we have also expanded to make medical shoes for men and women who suffer from spine aches and knee pains, including diabetic shoes, etc. We have a separate consultation process for these clients as well.
We also customise shoes for grooms and groomsmen, especially if the groom wants to up his height a bit by wearing shoes with a slightly taller heel than usual.
Apart from these categories, we also have a ready-made range of smart casual heels and casual flats that are available for immediate purchase following a size chart for reference. We update our collection every two months adding new, trendy designs and colours.
What makes your company stand out?
- We make the shoes from scratch for clients, and before it’s completed, we offer a fit-on for any final adjustments. This is the most important step when making the shoes, because this is how I make sure the shoes fit perfectly, to avoid any discomfort or shoe-cuts. It is only after the fit-on that we complete the shoes.
- We offer customised bridal shoes using the very same lace used to make brides’ dresses, to create a one-of-a-kind pair of shoes that perfectly fits into the bride’s ensemble, making her look good and feel like royalty!
- Each pair of our making contains special cloud-foam padding, which makes the shoes so much more comfortable than others available in the market.
- We’re one of very few to make medical shoes for people with back aches, knee pains, ankle pains, diabetic shoes, etc. We have a separate consultation process for these clients, and these medical shoes are not only for women; we make these for men as well.
What are some challenges you had to face with your brand?
One of the biggest challenges I had to face in the beginning was building trust for my brand. A wedding is a huge deal and no one would want to make a mistake with their bridal shoes.
I am really thankful to my first few clients who trusted me and allowed me to create some beautiful pieces for them. Once this was achieved, building trust was no longer an issue, as word of mouth spread and I had people who gave me many good reviews.
How has business been faring during the economic crisis?
The biggest problem we had to face during the economic crisis was the cost of raw materials, which kept increasing day by day, sometimes due to shortages, or when import taxes were increased. This made it very difficult to give clients a quote for their preferred design.
Another problem that we had to face was the shortage of materials due to the import ban. As opposed to before, there were times when clients had limited options to choose from when it came to colours, accessories, or heel heights and types.
What’s next for Her Ceylon?
Since we operate as an online store at present, my ultimate goal is to open a physical store that allows clients to walk in at any time and place an order or simply browse through the collection. We are also planning to launch a website in the near future for the ready-made collection for more convenience, allowing the customer to make a purchase and have a look at all the designs we have to offer.