{"id":80252,"date":"2023-02-16T18:05:56","date_gmt":"2023-02-16T18:05:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lovehappensmag.com\/blog\/?p=80252"},"modified":"2023-02-16T18:08:18","modified_gmt":"2023-02-16T18:08:18","slug":"the-shoe-for-comfort-beauty-by-erika-carrero-elizee","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lovehappensmag.com\/blog\/2023\/02\/16\/the-shoe-for-comfort-beauty-by-erika-carrero-elizee\/","title":{"rendered":"The Shoe for Comfort & Beauty."},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Join us for a peek inside the empowering world of Erika Carrero, Founder, CEO, and Creative Director of Eliz\u00e9e. The San Francisco-based, made-in-Italy, luxury footwear brand crafts footwear to empower the modern woman’s versatile lifestyle. Yes, please!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Erika is a woman on a mission to reshape luxury footwear by blending heritage Italian craftsmanship with cutting-edge comfort technology. A former Silicon Valley CFO, Eliz\u00e9e is Erika’s first entrepreneurial venture, and the unparalleled beauty and comfort of her creations say it all. Read on to learn more about Eliz\u00e9e and Erika Carrero in this edition of the Lh Empowered Women Empower<\/a> series.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Be Inspired by\u00a0<\/em>Erika Carrero<\/strong>, Founder & Creative Director of\u00a0<\/em>Eliz\u00e9e<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Erika Carrero, Founder & Creative Director of Eliz\u00e9e<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Love Happens: As our name and the tagline of our publisher, KOKET<\/a>, denotes, at Love Happens<\/em>, we are firm believers that you cannot achieve any level of success without love. When did your love affair with shoes begin? How did it make you feel?<\/strong><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Erika Carrero:<\/strong> I have always loved fashion, and I was influenced by my mother and grandmother, who were always very fashionable; my mother even ran errands in pencil skirts and stilettos! I have a vivid image of my mom getting ready for the day. Wearing a light pink pencil skirt and matching stilettos. I was very young, but I remember clearly thinking that she looked so beautiful and powerful. I think she still has that pair of shoes somewhere in the attic. That\u2019s my first memory of looking at a pair of shoes with different eyes \u2013 and that\u2019s when I think I fell in love with shoes and couldn\u2019t wait until I was able to wear heels myself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lh: What made you want to shift from working as a tech executive CFO to a luxury creative director and CEO?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Erika:<\/strong> I\u2019ve loved fashion, especially shoes, right from the start. During my years working in tech, I often traveled for work, and I identified a gap in the market when I simply couldn\u2019t find beautiful but comfortable shoes to serve my needs. Specifically, I needed to look professional and elegant while being on my feet for long days in the office, the boardroom, and entertaining clients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once I\u2019d identified this need for the exact kind of shoes I (and so many other women) needed, I began by studying the industry \u2013 initially as a hobby \u2013 for 7 years. Little by little, that hobby transitioned into a solid business plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a tech executive, I gained so much experience running a business and launching start-ups, but my dream was to have a company of my own that could make an impact in an area that I loved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It all came together after my last company was sold successfully. By that time, I already had the Eliz\u00e9e team and a range of designs, and the decision came down to either looking for a new CFO job or starting my own company. I decided to take a leap of faith and start my own company. And despite the challenges, it\u2019s been the most rewarding experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Lh: How do you bring sustainability to Italian craftsmanship?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Erika:<\/strong> At Eliz\u00e9e, sustainability is one of our core values, and we are conscious about not overproducing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We are lucky to have a strong partnership with one of Italy\u2019s oldest heritage factories, which continues to work with us around minimums and delivery times of our production. We aim to have small production quantities and a short turnaround time on re-orders, which allows us to respond in a fluid way to demand rather than overstocking. Not only is this eco-friendlier, but these smaller quantities save on the initial upfront investment costs because we can be more nimble. For example, we can order more of the styles that work well to avoid overproduction and potential waste. Additionally, our leathers are sourced exclusively from Italian tanneries that receive the highest grade from Italy\u2019s Institute of Quality Certification (ICEC). Our leathers are a by-product of the food industry from sustainable European farms, and the tanneries\u2019 production and labor practices are held to the highest standard of social and environmental responsibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sustainability is crucial for our planet, and post-pandemic, we have seen a profound, sudden shift in consumer preferences. Not only are consumers demanding comfort from their footwear like never before \u2013 even in heels \u2013 but sustainability has also become a priority for them. This turn in consumer tastes is even more encouraging for us since sustainable production and environmental and labor practices have been part of our vision from the beginning.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Erika Carrero at Eliz\u00e9e (Photo by Annie Barnett)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Lh: How do you describe the Eliz\u00e9e shoe?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Erika: <\/strong>Glamorous, seductive, feminine, and powerful are the words my team, and I have in mind when we design every shoe. Each style is meticulously designed and crafted to make the woman wearing it feel like the best version of herself every time she slips them on – confident, gorgeous, comfortable, and empowered to take on the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lh: Do you have a favorite Eliz\u00e9e shoe, and if yes, why?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Erika:<\/strong> I love the Ametista! It is ultra-sexy and versatile and made of buttery soft python-stamped leather. The subtle metallic sheen can add sparkle at night for an evening outing but goes equally well with jeans or day dresses, while the silhouette is strappy with a flattering fit. It is the perfect pair for traveling \u2013 for resorts, dinners in the city, and work meetings. I named this style after my birthstone, the amethyst, so it really has a special meaning to me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A post shared by Elize\u0301e (@elizeeshoes)<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>