Liebre Style - A Brand With Truly A Point Of Difference That I Hope Will Survive The Pandemic

Right now it's survival mode for most small businesses. Strapped for cash, unable to go about their business as usual, pushing to drive to online models, relying on slowed down logistics, it is not an easy fight. I like to call in-store sales "hand-to-hand combat" , you get right up and close with your customer, you can truly show them what it is you do, the quality of what you make, why you do it, and the reason you might charge more than your competition, or less as it happens some time.

Online sales is a difficult business. You get exposed to a much broader customer base but it's hard to convince anyone to go online and shop a brand they have never heard of nor experienced or had a relationship with the product or the product category.

For this reason I think it is going to be a challenging few years for Elena of Liebre Style , a shoe company she started in 2017, making small batch shoes in Portugal featuring very lively colours and patinas of leather mixed with silk fabrics she sources from all around the world.

Elena contacted me for an interview after she had been introduced to a silk merchant that we both knew in common. That interview took place on Saturday night via a live stream on Instagram, something I had never done before and perhaps won't do again as I realised I was talking too much and anyone had access and there is no editing out what happens... But it was enjoyable to try something brand new.

The feeling I got from Elena is that she is passionate about fabrics and combining them with shoes. And for the most part, aside from wool, I have not seen this kind of blending of silks and leathers before and to be honest, I had thought about it after seeing a pair of silk loafers a few years ago, but never had the stamina to see it through. And that's the difference. There are a lot of people in this world that say "I'm gonna" and very few who put their money where their mouth is. Elena has succeeded. Though I am not familiar nor am completely sold on Portuguese makers, I am very impressed with her range and flair and especially taken by her leather holdall bags which are finished with silk and Harris Tweed.

Elena right now is struggling to get through this period and so I am wanting to support her and I will be donating to her crowd funding of her next project of shoes which is coming soon. She is also currently working on a wholesale model and looking for boutiques to stock her unique brand of shoes. I will keep you posted once she gets the crowd funding going and I am pleased to say, her next collection is extremely exciting, using the highest quality Italian jacquard silks. I look forward to being one of her first customers. In the meantime, shop her existing collection here: LIEBRE STYLE or follow her Instagram here. Or , try Elena directly on +48510505941

Elena, director of Liebre Style, who fuses silk and leather to make exceptionally different shoes and bags.

Leather weekend bag featuring Harris Tweed