Today we’d like to introduce you to Nalini Arora.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Nalini. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
After I graduated from high school, I went to the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising. At that time, I was not thinking about design, but more business. I studied Merchandise Marketing. I graduated pretty young. I was not even 20 when I graduated and had a great job working for a brand in sales at the California Mart.
It was exciting traveling, and staying at 5-star hotels all over the U.S., and meeting with presidents from Macy’s, but I felt way too young, and out of place. I needed more life experiences and decided to go back to college and get my bachelors degree. My challenge was that I was used to making money, and having my own apartment. I didn’t want to live like a struggling college student anymore. I was trying to find a part-time job that would allow me to live somewhat comfortably, while I went to school.
Someone told me that if I sell shoes, that I could make commission, and I determined how much money I could make. So, based on survival, I turned to footwear. I ended up getting a retail job at Nine West shoes, and the commission was great. The reward was even better, and that was I loved shoes, selling them to women, and the designs and new ideas inspired me every day. I was a good salesperson, and I think it’s because I loved shoes. I loved seeing how women would lose their shit for a new pair of shoes. It was exciting.
After I graduated from college, I knew that I would make my career in footwear. It was not easy. I did not know how to get a footwear job that was not retail related. So, I worked in wholesale sales for Fossil watches, and Guess jeans. However, I was not happy and was always looking to get back into shoes. I finally decided I was quitting all apparel jobs and would make shoes my focus even if it meant selling shoes at Nordstrom which I did. I went back to selling shoe retail, and within three months I got my first wholesale sales job in shoes.
At that job, I worked with a guy in both sales and some product development. It was him, who told me, you should design shoes. For whatever reason, he had a fond interest in me, and he helped me make that happen. So, here I am 17 years later, working as a shoe designer.
Has it been a smooth road?
Becoming a shoe designer was easy. It was as if the gods aligned everything perfectly for me to become a shoe designer, and even getting my first job as a shoe designer. The struggle became when I started designing shoes. I started out designing kids shoes because that is what I wanted. After designing kids shoes for a year, I wanted to do women’s. That was my first struggle. Getting into women’s was challenging. After I finally I made that happen, even though I was designing women’s shoes. It was fashion athletic.
I realized I wanted to design dress and casual shoes, and then that became a challenge. I was a sneaker, and skate shoe designer, and getting to the dress side was challenging. So basically, I’ve always wanted to challenge myself, and I somehow overcome it but it’s not easy. I do like a good challenge though. The good thing that came out of this, I’m comfortable designing women’s dress, casual, skate, and fashion athletic. Oh, and kids!
In 2005, I decided it was time to work for myself. I decided to go freelance, and I moved to Spain for a short time. Maintaining freelance is the difficult part, and since I love a good challenge, For me going to work in the house was not adoption. That focus, allowed me to build a nice business where I’m working with international companies creating shoes and accessories for their brand. It by no means is easy. I work a lot and am always on the hustle. I moved back to LA in 2007 because doing freelance in Spain was difficult.
Since moving back in 2007, I have been able to freelance consistently and work with many amazing brands, and projects. The shoes business is changing, and getting freelance jobs seems to be getting harder, and harder. Social media has allowed many opportunities for me. If I only had more time to work on social media more, I’m sure there would be more opportunities. That’s another struggle, but all I can do is do the best I can, I’m happy to be creating and working on what I love every day.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
I’ve established a consulting business where I design, develop, and create footwear and accessories for brands globally. I get hired by brands to help them build a collection with their in-house design team, or perhaps they don’t have a team and want to work with a consultant. I specialize in women’s and children’s footwear.
I also design accessories and am currently working on building fashion illustration into my design services. I would say I’m known for design kids shoe, and women’s dress shoes. I have a good eye and great taste level for what women like. Even though I’m a designer, I have the ability to think on a business and marketing level. I can separate what I personally like, and design a collection of shoes based on the brands story.
I’m proud that I’ve been able to sustain a consulting business for 13 years, and work on very diverse projects. Some projects are super amazing, and some are just ok. It’s part of being a freelancer. However, what I thrive on is growing, and evolving. Increasing my skill level, meeting amazing people. and creating new challenges for myself everyday.
What sets me apart from others is that I have a strong brand client list. I do work with start ups, but I mainly work with brands globally. I also design into many categories strongly, and am not afraid of any challenge.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
I see the shoe business changing a lot. Brands are not taking risks anymore. Design has become a way to simple, and boring. Most of the brands that are taking risks are the fashion houses such as Gucci, Vetments, Miu Miu, etc.
Commercial brands are just copying other brands, and small brands are too safe. There are a few brands that are doing cool, creative shoes that are not $1500, and I praise them. I hope that shoes become more interesting again, and that copying shoes subsides drastically. Why buy a shoe for $400 when you can get the same one at Target. It’s quite discouraging.
Purchasing shoes online is a challenge because women want to try shoes on, but I think that online businesses will continue to grow especially because there are so many cool small brands that you can’t find in the US. People are always asking me I can’t find this or that. It makes me think, so many shoe brands, and yet people can’t find what they’re looking for or are bored with what’s out there?
Personally, I think starting a relationship with a sales person at a store who sells shoes on Instagram is a brilliant idea. I met this woman at Barneys in NYC, and she posts all the shoes that come in on her IG. If I’m interested, I will message her on Instagram, and ask her for pricing, availability. Seriously, brands should be doing this more.
Connecting with their customer, and feeding them what they could have daily is a great way to connect with your customer. Women are crazy about shoes. We will go thru great lengths to get a new pair of shoes if we see it!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.naliniarora.com
- Instagram: @lashoegirl
- Facebook: @lashoegirl
- Twitter: @lashoegirl
Image Credit:
Bree McCool
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