She lives by the motto, ‘Give a girl the right pair of shoes, and she can conquer the world’.
And for Enya de Oliveira the shoe fits just right and she is on a quest to master the world in shoe design. Enya grew up in Linmeyer and at the age of 18 she jetted off to Portugal to become a shoe designer.
Almost seven years later we catch up with this former Marist Brothers, Marian College learner to chat about her latest challenge.
She has just entered the Jimmy Choo competition and the winner of the competition, which 10 000 other designers entered, will be announced shortly.
Voting closes on Sunday, June 7 – so don’t forget to vote for Enya’s design.
Finding her niche
She said she always wanted to be in a design field but never knew which one.
“All my friends where applying to Lisof and Fedisa, we were all ‘fashionistas’.”
Then during matric dance season she heard the same complaints from girls and guys alike: ‘I can’t find shoes! Either I’m too small a size or I’m too big a size.’ “Then the penny kind of dropped. I could see how I could fit into the bigger picture and after all, I always loved shoes.
“I also know my great grandmother was a “Gaspeadeira” – the technical word for a footwear seamstress. Maybe its in my blood.”
Taking the leap
When asked about her fears and challenges once in Portugal, she said: “I think 18-year-old me had few fears probably because I was naive and I had my mom.
“She came with me for the first nine months, leaving my dad behind in SA. I am eternally grateful because, without them, I wouldn’t be where I am today.
“I had no idea about anything in the real world. and my mom did everything for me because I spoke no Portuguese.
“She got me into the school, found us our first home, set up bank accounts and did the necessary paperwork, taught me Portuguese, did the food shopping everyday, did laundry (with no washing machine) – all of this with no car. The list is endless.”I think they had more fears than me. Looking back it was quite an adventure,” she said.
“I also was very homesick for the first year. I missed my family and friends and cried a lot.
“My first European winter was awful. My first birthday and Christmas were especially difficult. I, however,I never considered giving up.
“The fact that I’m still here, seven years later, when many people said I wouldn’t make six months, feels pretty good.
Successes
“I got a scholarship to study my passion. I interned for Luis Onofre, the most famous (and best in my eyes) Portuguese footwear designer.
“So I lived and interned in Italy. At that time I was the senior designer for Cristina Ferreira (TV personality and influencer) for four years, also the senior designer for Cristiano Ronaldo, and I lived and intervened at Sophia Webster (one of my favourite shoe designers) in London.
“I now work for a New York based company which was on my bucket list. All the successes have pushed me closer and closer to the something bigger.”
About the competition
To keep up to date with trends in the industry she follows many shoe brands and came across the #ChooSketch competition on Jimmy Choo’s Instagram page.
“The requirements were simple: sketch your fantasy shoe and your design could be part of a capsule collection sold for charity.
“Sandra Choi (creative director) would pick her top 10 and then the top five winners would be selected by the public.
“Over 10 000 entries were sent from all over the world. I made the top 10, which I feel is already a win to be recognised by Sandra Choi and the Jimmy Choo team.
“Voting is simple. Go to Jimmy Choo´s Instagram page and like my design. It is 2/10 called Rainbow Nation by Enya.”
Her mission
Enya said her mission will always take her back home where she would love to be the Fairy God Mother of Shoes.
“I would love to get a pair of shoes on every South African’s feet and then the rest of Africa. I don’t see shoes as a luxury. They are an essential which we all have a right to.
“I would love to start foundations, educate young people about the industry and be a philanthropist. To create jobs for my family and other talented people here in Portugal. “And I would love to be the first millionaire in my family and give back to both the SA and Portuguese communities.” she said.
