Eugenia Neave - Shoemaker
PH 08 8294 6990
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Now on Instagram too.
Eugenia Neave, an Adelaide based Shoe Designer was brought up a maker.
Daughter of a jeweller and a silk painter, and sister to a movie propmaker,
her earliest attempt at making shoes was as a child, and her first creation
was a paper shoe with a cornflake packet sole.
A few years later, after work experience with country shoemakers, Eugenia
was inspired by their lifestyle, and the diversity of the trade.
She has continued and grown with a passion for shoes, learning her trade
from recognised Master Shoe Makers, Eugenia began shoemaking under
the guidance of a number of skilled and willing teachers.
An intensive 2 years was spent with these shoemakers; a Bulgarian trained
Bespoke Master Shoemaker, (George Koleff), an English trained Pattern
Cutter (Tim Skyrme), and many hours at a Technical College.
Eugenia eagerly started her own business 'Genie Shoes' initially as a market
stall in the Adelaide East End Markets in 1993. A year later moving together
with a co-op of local jewellers (including her father), to a city retail outlet
featuring jewellery and shoes called 'Silver Shop and Genie Shoes'.
'Genie shoes', later changed to 'Eugenia Neave - Shoemaker', as a bespoke
shoemaking business, and is one of a small number of such service providers
in Adelaide, and is now located in Partridge St, Glenelg Sth .
Custom making footwear for awkward fittings allows the chance for these
clients to wear elegant footwear, which would otherwise be impossible.
Eugenia still enjoys making custom shoes and boots, and is also
concentrating on satisfying her creative, aesthetic urges with one-off designs.
Eugenia handcrafts each individual pair herself, with a high level of attention
to detail.
Using a distinct eye for symmetry and refinement, her aim is to make
beautiful footwear.
"Beauty for me is balance and grace"
History, colour, suede, fabrics and clean, classic lines turn this young
designer on.
"I don't think we need to rely on fluff and glitz to create beauty."
After an initial concept Eugenia carefully sculpts a last (foot form), creates
patterns and clicks (cuts out), the leather.
Pulling the stitched upper over the last, brings the form to life. Heels and
soles complete the image.
"I get lost in it, lost to it."