The slow fashion footwear brand encouraging others to consider the environmental cost of their shoe closet.
Cleverstein is the world's first sustainable chameleon shoe brand for women. Tanya Mulesa created the perfect shoe for women on the go, taking you from the meeting room to cocktail hour. The 12-in-1 formal flat can match any outfit, with the swap of just one accessory on the shoe. The innovative footwear is made from handbag scraps, with the idea to save waste and protect the planet.
'The spirit of an athlete, style of Audrey Hepburn, attitude of a CEO, and adaptability of a chameleon. It is what a modern, successful woman is.'
In 2017, SimplyBe found that UK women owned, on average, 27 pairs of shoes - this is just one of the reasons Mulesa founded Cleverstein. 'I was a frustrated consumer, who couldn't find the right shoes for my lifestyle...that are comfortable, elegant, and suitable for various occasions'. She found her large shoe collection did not fit the ethos of her line of work in the sustainable energy industry - 'I felt like a hypocrite.'
'Sustainable fashion is about 12 years behind sustainable energy.'
Tanya's experience within her sustainability career helped create a business that is both environmentally and financially sustainable. 'Sustainability doesn’t have to cost money. Our formula is 4Rs: Reduce, Regenerate, Repair and Recycle. Our...approach naturally reduces the amount of shoes women buy, store and dispose of, as well as reduce waste in the industry.'
Cleverstein created an initiative for customers to donate their old shoes to be recycled, in return for a 10% discount on their next pair of Cleverstein flats.
The struggles of being sustainable within the footwear industry
The innovative creator spoke about the challenges she faced when trying to find the right approach towards making her brand sustainable. 'At the beginning of our Research and Development, I was carried away by vegan leathers, water-based adhesives and biodegradable soles. But after a few failed prototypes, I realised that the most sustainable product should...be desirable, durable, recyclable, and adaptable. Only animal leather could tick all these boxes perfectly'.
Faced with the issue of methane gas and deforestation caused by leather production, the company calculated the risk of deforestation and the amount of CO2 that their shoes produced. This led to the company compensating their work by 'planting a tree for every pair of shoes we produce'.
'Everything suddenly started making sense and felt like a much bigger impact than just producing vegan shoes made from plastic'.
The future of Cleverstein
Just like many other brands within the footwear industry, there are still problems facing the Cleverstein founder and improvements she would like to make to her company. 'The biggest problem remaining for us is chemicals used in processing the leather, we will be migrating to cleaner leather very soon'.
Mulesa claims to currently be working on the expansion of her business, branching out into heels, sandals, trainers and boots, that follow the same concept. 'We are also looking to improve our accessories attachment mechanism to make it more functional, sleek, and recyclable'.
'I am not giving up on the vegan line which would tick all the boxes in our market. We will hopefully have a successful prototype soon.'
'A good mentor and a common-sense approach is miles better than a big bank account.'
When asked what advice would you give to anyone wishing to start their own sustainable business, Tanya explained 'Don't focus on trends - focus on what is the best thing for your customer and the environment.'
She added, 'Be frugal with finances. It is very easy to spend savings quickly on things that really are not necessary for the big picture. There is a lot more you can do by building relationships with the right people'.
Cleverstein's shoes are priced at £245, coming in 2 staple shades, Black and Powder.
The company offer 17 different accessories for both casual and evening wear - priced at £29 each.
Find out more about Cleverstein and their sustainability here.
Comments