KUALA LUMPUR, May 17 — When it comes to buying shoes, comfort and style do not always go together. Certain styles tend to be more difficult to wear, causing blisters and unwanted pain.
Nelissa Hilman decided to venture into the world of shoe making when she realised that not many shoe brands carry fashionable styles that fit her broad feet.
Although Nelissa wears a size 37, a common women’s shoe size, a lot of shoe brands have a narrow cut so you can’t really wear them for long periods that involve a lot of walking.
The Malaysian-based designer used to be a corporate person before she decided to do something she loves.
“Initially, I learned sewing but I wanted to work on something smaller with more architecture. I then went to learn shoe making in Florence, Italy in 2011,” said Nelissa who studied at Polimoda International Institute of Fashion Design & Marketing.
The six-month course is a precursor to a Masters degree but she could not continue due to financial constraints.
In 2011, Nelissa Hilman the brand was born.
Selling shoes online is tough, admits Nelissa, but she does her best to help customers choose shoes based on the shape and size of their feet. From using international sizing charts to emailing back and forth to ensure the customers choose the right shoe, Nelissa puts emphasis on comfort.
Her shoes follow European sizing, starting from size EUR34 up to EUR42. Custom sizing is also available upon request.
Coming from a corporate background is useful because she knows the basics of business which she applies to her shoe design company.
Her brand is especially popular among working professionals.
“When I first started, a lot of my customers were my friends and former colleagues. Most of my them are working professionals I became acquainted with while I was in my corporate job. I don’t know many people in the fashion industry,” said Nelissa.
At the start of her business, Nelissa emailed Paris-based, Malaysian fashion designer Jonathan Liang. She wanted to make shoes for his collection.
For KL Fashion Week 2013 and 2014, she collaborated with Liang, making runway-only pieces for his line. Dude & the Duchess appointed Liang as their creative director after a successful capsule collection and subsequently, Nelissa released a capsule collection that she collaborated on for Dude & the Duchess.
Featuring leather with textures, the collection complements the current collection Liang designed designed.
The sizing for the capsule collection runs from EUR36 to EUR40.
“We (Nelissa Hilman) recently appointed Jonathan to be our brand director to help freshen the brand,” she said. One of the tips he gave Nelissa was to use more solid colours rather than colour blocking so that the shoes can match clothes better.
“That is why you see for the DD x Nelissa Hilman collection, I chose solid colours instead. It is a more streamlined look.”
A question customers often ask Nelissa is how to match her shoes with their clothes. “With Jonathan as a brand director, we hope to make our shoes stand out by playing with structures. He will be our consultant, working on our branding and creative direction as well.”
Nelissa is very hands-on with her brand, offering add-on services such as shoe stretching and restoration work if the shoes are too tight or if there is dirt on white shoes. If the insole lining comes out, Nelissa Hilman can repair it for you.
As a shoe lover herself, she understands the needs of her customers.
“You will notice after wearing our shoes for some time, they will mould to your feet so it gets more comfortable,” said Nelissa.
The petite shoe designer prefers wearing flats to heels but does wear the latter at events.
“I got into shoe making because I had problems finding shoes for wide feet. Also, I was curious about how shoes were made,” said Nelissa. For the Nelissa Hilman brand, the leather comes from Italy while the hardware is sourced from China.
Production is here in Malaysia.
“After coming back from Italy I worked in a shoe factory for awhile. I want to revive the shoe industry because it is a dying trade. Not many young Malaysians find it sexy to work in a shoe factory. Most of the shoe makers here are not Malaysian,” said Nelissa.
Nelissa Hilman shoes are handcrafted in Malaysia and it is affordable for a pair of Italian leather designer shoes.
Priced around the RM300 range, it is value for money because of the quality and craftsmanship. So far, the brand is gaining more popularity with customers coming back to buy more.
At Dude & the Duchess, Nelissa is a bit more experimental with the designs as she is working closely with Liang. “Nelissa Hilman has more professionals as customers, whereas Dude & the Duchess is more targeted at a younger crowd.”
So who are Nelissa’s favourite shoe designers?
“I like Salvatore Ferragamo for being really innovative in the 1950s when he collaborated with Sonia Delaunay. I also like Roger Vivier and Nicholas Kirkwood. Another brand I really like is United Nude for their 3D shoes,” said Nelissa.
Currently, you can find Nelissa Hilman shoes at Robinsons and Snackfood other than online.
Nelissa is in talks with Adeline Chong of Snackfood on a possible collaboration under the #takeoversnackfood workshops series. #takeoversnackfood is a year-long project where Snackfood and other collaborators organise workshops for the public.
The 32-year-old shoe designer also collaborated with the late artist Sivam Selvaratnam on a collection of shoes hand painted and covered in digital printed artworks Sivam Selvaratnam made. She also worked with [Ay]A Studio Paris to create a 3D printed shoe.
Nelissa was recently appointed the Director of Creativity and Innovation for the Malaysian Footwear Manufacturers Association this year. She is constantly running around, making sure production for her collection and collaborations go smoothly.
From the way things are going, Nelissa has most certainly made a successful career out of her love for shoes.
Online
Nelissa Hilman:
DDxNH: http://ddshoponline.com/collections/ddxnh
Fashion Valet:
Stockists
Robinsons Malaysia
The Gardens Mall
Bazzaro
No. 6-1, Jalan Telawi 2,
Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur
Snackfood
17A, Jalan Telawi 3,
Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur
Sole 2 Sole
6, Scotts Road, #01 - 04/05
Scotts Square, Singapore
