Feminine, Elegant and Edgy Footwear
Evica Simjanoski is a woman who wears beautiful heels and knows exactly how to design them. She claims her Macedonian roots are the core of who she is and inspires her designs. We took a few minutes to ask her some questions about her well structured yet gorgeous shoe line Evi Simjan and she shared some insight regarding her edgy and elegant brand.
DFN: Congratulations on such a successful women’s footwear brand. Tell us, how Evi Simjan was started.
Simjanoski: Thank you. It was always a dream of mine, but being a first generation, (My parents are from the former Yugoslavia) art and fashion were for fun but were not considered a career path. I majored in fashion and biomedical photography. It was my way of being an “adult” but also following my passion. I have been working in medicine for the last 16+ years and although I love it and find it very fulfilling, something was missing. About 3 or 4 years ago I started sketching, just as a creative outlet. My mom thought different. Those sketches were sent to my aunt in Macedonia and she had my cousin look into shoe factories…and the next thing I knew I was in Macedonia visiting factories with my father and trying to find the right fit for my vision.
DFN: We love the strong structure of your shoes yet they are so beautiful, feminine and unique. How do you create that balance?
Simjanoski: Feminine and fearless, beautiful and bold, elegant and edgy…That’s the brand. I bring all of these elements into every design. These are the core elements of the brand, and I feel, what makes women so unique. Women are strong and fearless, intelligent and capable of anything we put our minds too. My goal is to help women feel comfortable in a strong sexy shoe, while we conquer the world.
DFN: I love that! So, on that note, what type of woman wears your shoes?
Simjanoski: My shoes are designed for the woman that wants to be comfortable, while still being sexy. I design for women as a woman that actually wears the shoes. There are so many beautiful shoes out there, but most are designed by men that don’t care how the shoe feels on your foot or how long you can wear it. My goal is to design a beautiful shoe that women can wear all day, from work to a night out on the town.
DFN: How long have you known you wanted to be a shoe designer?
Simjanoski: I have been obsessed with shoes for as long as I can remember, from sneakers to heels, I am in love with them all. I believe that a shoe makes the outfit. I didn’t know I wanted to be a shoe designer specifically, until I went to the College for Creative Studies and I hung out with a group of guys that were aspiring shoe designers and the dream started to grow and build back then.
DFN: We read your mother is from Serbia and father from Macedonia. Does the European culture inspire your designs? If yes, how so?
Simjanoski: Yes, I was raised to be strong, to respect others and to work hard, more by example than with words. My culture is the core of who I am and I believe that the shoes are an extension of me.
DFN: What is the secret to making a strong high heel that stands the test of time?
Simjanoski: I believe it all starts with a great last. I spent alot of time on research and development, I visited the factories in Italy when the lasts were being made multiple times. I worked very closely with the masters to make sure that what I was trying to do was possible and that it would make my shoes more comfortable. When I told them I wanted to redesign the lasts by changing the width and the pitch of the shoes, they thought I was crazy. Apparently comfort is not important to most designers.
DFN: Where can our readers purchase your shoes?
Simjanoski: The collection is currently on sale online at www.evisimjan.com, I may be doing a few pop ups in the Detroit area so follow the brand on Instagram @evisimjan on Facebook for updates.
We will definitely be visiting those pop-ups. What do you think women need to look for when choosing the right pair of heels or boots?
Simjanoski: Fit and quality of the leather. If the leather is good, it will form to your foot like a glove. When I was designing this collection, I made sure that the leather was soft and that we had one seam on the inside of the shoes to eliminate rubbing and cause few if any blisters. Make sure when you are trying on a new shoe you look for pain points, if it feels like a seam is rubbing it will most likely cause a blister and will become that shoe you throw into the back of the closet and never want to wear again.
DFN: Great advice! Thank you Evica. We love your current collection and can’t wait to watch your brand grow. We wish you much success!
Simjanoski: Thank you, I’m currently working on the next collection, so stay tuned and follow the brand to see what’s coming up!