Hidden Gems: Meet Birgit Sas-sundquest of Empress of Heels

Today we’d like to introduce you to Birgit Sas-sundquest

Hi Birgit, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
In 2019 I quit my corporate job in finance and started my own webshop, selling high heels from other brands. When Covid hit my sales dropped. I started to walk a lot, thinking about the future and about starting my own high heels shoe brand. During these walks I noticed how nature was thriving. That made me think about what I wanted for my own brand. I am very passionate about animals, I don’t eat or wear them and don’t want them to suffer for my life choices, so for me it was just natural that my own brand would be completely vegan.

But just vegan wasn’t enough for me. I wanted my brand to be vegan AND sustainable.

After launching my first collection in 2022 I didn’t stop. I wanted better materials, less use of plastic, more colors and more comfort. And here we are today: with a collection hand made in Poland, on a new last and available in 4 colors and 3 heel heights. But I don’t stop there, a new model is on its way and my manufacturer and I work hard to make the heels even more sustainable and comfortable.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The road for Empress of Heels was and is far from smooth. Not only are we a small company with not a lot of marketing budget, but also sourcing materials and staying committed to sustainability is not that easy. But slowly we are growing, making small waves in the fashion industry by proving that vegan materials are as good, if not better, than leather shoes.
Customers are returning and the reviews are glowing!

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Empress of Heels has her own collection of beautiful vegan heels. We pride ourselves in the materials that we use (vegan leather made with apple waste and corn fiber mixed with recycled plastic bottles) and the comfort our heels offer. As not everybody is a big fan of really high heels, we sell our heels in 3 heel heights and 4 different colors.

We are super proud that we are moving fast to become the go-to brand for the classic pump. We sell world wide and offer excellent customer service.

Besides that we are also offering a new feature on our website; if you’re not sure about your shoe size you can open an app on our website that scans your foot and guides you to the perfect pair of Empress of Heels.

And between all the shoe making, shipping and thinking about new models and materials we also support The Gouves Animal Shelter on the island of Crete in Greece.

We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
I think luck is always a part of business, it’s not only dedication and hard work. Covid was bad luck for my first webshop, but it was good luck for my plans. Because without Covid I wouldn’t be where I am now with my company.

Pricing:

• Our heels sell for $ 184 dollars.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.empressofheels.com
• Instagram: @empress_of_heels
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/empressofheels

Image Credits
Pictures are taken by @createdbysharr