A new Moroccan inspired shoe collection by 10-year industry apparel designer Leonara Giovanna Arslani is now available for purchase. The mules are the newest addition to the New York-based lifestyle collection, Giovanna. Included are nine strapped and closed toe hand-woven raffia mules crafted by local Moroccan artisans. The shoe collection is a first for the senior apparel designer at Lela Rose and Lela Rose Bridal.
The concept for the shoe collection came about a few years ago during Giovanna’s honeymoon in Morocco. “I purchased a few pairs of shoes while we were in Marrakech and once we got home, everyone kept asking where I got them and how they could get them,” she says. “I was inspired to design and I started reaching out to some of the artisans I’d met back in Morocco.”
Although Arslani was considering to create a Moroccan shoe collection, her concept didn’t come to fruition until recently when she flipped through family photos. She noticed the classic pieces her Great Aunt Giovanna was wearing. As a young girl her family always visited her aunt’s home near the Roman seaside. “The visits served as inspiration,” said the half-Albanian Arslani.
Aunt Giovanna was a traveler and collected fashion pieces. Like her aunt, the designer’s style also has a hint of the nomadic and is reminiscent of the 1970’s. The Giovanna label is funky, chic and has an effortless bohemian feel. Her designs reflect the colorful type of mules she sensed her aunt would wear. The nine crisscrossed and closed toe mules come in rose, peacock, black natural, striped strawberry or striped lemon, two-toned rose gem, and mule jade. The Moroccan inspired shoe collection is handmade from 100% Raffia with each piece bearing a leather sole. The Moroccan mules are designed in mind for women with a free spirit and an independent global mind. Giovanna’s collection can be purchased on the brand’s website. Prices range between $195 and $250 for each pair.