Shanghai sole

"We're proud of the city and we're proud of the product – it's because of Shanghai that we're doing this in the first place!" beams Charles Philip, the exuberant Italian behind the eponymous shoe brand. Instantly recognizable through their distinctive shape, the shoes have captured the attention – and feet – of fashionistas globally, and the design duo behind the success are adamant that Shanghai share their limelight.

The story starts little over a year ago when, disillusioned with the internship that had initially brought him to the city and inspired by the entrepreneurship around him, Philip suggested to Sheila Pitigala, his best friend back in Milan and a talented designer, that she join him in China and that together they "do something in fashion."

Happily Pitigala agreed and after thinking carefully about where they could make their mark, they settled on shoes. Not just any shoes, however, as Philips explains: "The inspiration came from the English gentry slipper, but we kind of wanted to make it more casual, free it up, give it some nice colours and a bit of a twist using linens, cottons and suede".

"This type of shoe usually has a slight heel, but we wanted to do something younger – the appeal is that they're elegant, they look a bit like a moccasin and quite preppy, but younger because they're completely flat", Pitigala adds.





Stripes, too, were an initial catalyst for the label's style: a fan of classic striped shirts, Philips felt the design could be well translated into shoes and in the brand's early days, the pair experimented with shirt cottons. Although materials have since been expanded to include linens, silks and suedes and patterns vary enormously from leopard print through to polka dot, blue and white stripes have become the shoe's signature and features on both the lining and packaging.



And so, armed with ideas, talent and drive, Pitigala and Philips hired a couple of cobblers and set up a workspace in their apartment, working on developing the perfect silhouette. A year later, they're still a small team – just five, in fact – but now with a Jingan studio where a small team make up sample shoes, use of a factory in Dongguan, and an international following thanks to stints at both New York and Paris Fashion Weeks, and a devoted and dedicated army of fashion bloggers.

"We have to move fast", Pitigala explains. "Every two or three months there's fairs or something going on and so we have to be ready to show the collection – everything has moved really quickly. We got a lot of attention that we weren't really expecting – our aim was initially to try it out and see how it goes, but actually a lot of people were very interested".

So many, in fact, that the shoes are now stocked in some of the world's most renowned stores – Colette in Paris, Brown's in London, and Intermix and Bloomingdale's in New York, to name but a few. "With big stores, we try to give them exclusive colours for their target customers. Intermix in America, for example, is very fashion orientated and a bit crazy so leopard print is going to them; for Bloomingdale's something a bit more classic; and for Colette some more crazy, funky stuff", Philip explains.



This is perhaps the key to Charles Philip Shanghai's success: although all very similar in shape, an astonishing range of colourways, textures and details mean that they cater to a broad market. "I dress according to my mind", Philip shrugs. "I have as many different styles as I do different moods, and so I just wanted the shoes to reflect that". And indeed they do: Pitigala scours the city's markets for fabrics and inspiration, resulting in 20 – 30 different colours each season. There really is something for most any taste – leopard print, cute and nautical anchors, polka dots, preppy stripes and, for a recent collaboration with Xintiandi concept store Alter, tweed. Soles are of a high quality rubber, making for an attractive, clean shoe but also, and crucially, one that's comfortable.

Even the shoes' presentation is carefully considered: boxes are lined in that signature blue and white stripe, whilst the slippers themselves come in a linen and cotton bag, each stuffed with a lavender-scented shoe pillow of classic Chinese silk. If the brand's name and thoughtful packaging didn't make it obvious enough, Charles Philip Shanghai is very proud indeed of the product's origins. "That they're made here in China is something we wanted to push. In America or Europe there's still a certain mistrust of Chinese quality and products, but we want to tell people that it's just about how you make it, not where! Our brand was born in Shanghai and we're proud of the fact we're from China – we have a quality product, they're comfortable and they look cool too", enthuses Patigala.

Philip nods in agreement: "Shanghai is such a vibrant place, and it was the city that pushed us to do this. Young entrepreneurs can go to a factory here and be taken seriously – that wouldn't happen in Europe. We also wouldn't have been able to start with almost no budget and from our front room!"

The pair have plans aplenty for future lines, ranging from accessories through to bags and even kitchen wear, and clearly and most importantly of all, the motivation to succeed. As Philip eloquently puts it, "We're still Italian at heart and in design, but Shanghai is so much fun – it's so cosmopolitan and here I really feel as if anything is possible."

Charles Philip Shanghai shoes are available at Alter and #1 Made in Shanghai from around 880rmb. For further information, check their website here