Introducing a local luxury leather made shoes manufacturer in Kansas with some helpful information and history:
A local manufacturer has formed a collaboration with artisans from all over the world in order to design footwear that will stand the test of time and redefine the concept of luxury.
MARY HENN
Cynthia Seymour’s passion for crafting things with her own two hands dates back to her childhood. After studying economics at UMKC, Seymour even ventured into baking before experimenting in shoemaking. Not until 2018 did she make the decision to go to Milan in order to pursue an education in the art of shoe pattern creation and design. She is now the creator and CEO of Saint Maur, a local footwear business that specializes in the production of clogs that are both comfortable and of high quality.
“I’ve always loved clogs,” Seymour admits. I’m not a fan of wearing shoes with high heels, therefore comfort is important to me. Clogs have always seemed to me to be the ideal shoe since they provide a sense of height while also maintaining comfort and safety.
According to Seymour, clogs are the kind of footwear that may be worn by a wide range of individuals, including those of different ages, styles, and cultural backgrounds. She notes that “part of them are handcrafted by an artisan in Cameroon,” which is one of the coolest things about her clogs. Seymour has developed relationships with a few skilled craftspeople from a variety of countries.
Although Seymour creates all of her shoe designs in Kansas City, she works with producers in other cities, such as Abuja, Nigeria, and León, Mexico, to generate shoe patterns and prepare the top portions of her designs. After then, those components are brought back to the United States and put together at the studio that Saint Maur maintains in Kansas City.
“It’s been fantastic meeting other artists who have the same enthusiasm,” says Seymour about the experience of meeting other craftspeople. “They are not merely employees that have been hired. They have the appearance of being my coworkers and partners, yet they are neither. Uplifting the voices of people of color and artists is vital to me, as is informing consumers about the process by which their shoes are manufactured.
Federica Danzi and Michele Battilomo are responsible for the photographs.
The tale that Seymour tells himself draws ideas from a variety of countries and ways of life. Although she has lived most of her childhood in western Kansas, her mother is originally from South Korea, and her father’s family is originally from the Bahamas. Because Seymour’s husband is from Italy, his family has been a great help to her in her shoemaking endeavors by bringing her in contact with other Italian shoemakers and artisans. The majority of Saint Maur’s leather comes from Italy, and Seymour has been utilizing a lot of vegetable-tanned leather since it is produced in an ecologically sustainable manner. Italy supplies the majority of Saint Maur’s leather. (She is doing research on the use of vegan leather in European countries.)
You can view Saint Maur’s designs right now on Instagram, and her shoes are now being sold at local pop-up events for Kansas City producers and artists. She is also building up her website so that she can sell her shoes directly to customers. Seymour is working on developing sandals, which she wants to release in time for the summer months.
Seymour adds, “I believe Kansas City is experiencing a type of fashion and art renaissance where people are purchasing more local handmade things.” “I think Kansas City is enjoying a sort of renaissance where people are buying more local handmade goods.” “In countries like Italy, that’s something that’s always been around. However, I believe that we are beginning to see more of that here recently, and I find that to be a really encouraging development.
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