Luxury, Style and Comfort with Calleen Cordero Designs
BOYT: How did you get started in the shoe designing industry?
Calleen Cordero: There was this high-end shoe store in Northern California and when I was thirteen, I would go in every weekend and fondle all of the shoes. When I was fifteen, I got a worker’s permit and I started working with the owner. She took me under her wing and I was traveling at the age of sixteen to Europe. I was always just so super passionate about footwear. There’s just something about it that just gets you in your solar-plexes. I have had a really wonderful experience, and about eleven years ago, I started my own company.
I also have two kids. A fourteen- and a seven-year-old. Two of the best boys, Ky and Collin. They were the main reason why I started my business. I was like, “You know what? I want a lifestyle. I want to be home with my kids.” And I found this vintage belt and kept laying it on my foot and I was like, “I have to design my own collection.” That’s how it all started. They’re pretty amazing kids and I’m having a great time with them.
BOYT: Where do you find inspiration for your designs?
Calleen Cordero: I get inspiration from everywhere. Nature tends to inspire me a lot in color and texture. I also get a lot of my designs in my sleep. I get inspiration from architecture. One time I designed one of my heels – a wedge – based on the bow of a boat.
BOYT: What is it that makes your shoes so comfortable?
Calleen Cordero: I put a foam padding that’s wrapped in suede in all my heels. Your foot goes right into a nice, cushy foam bed. My sandals are hand-molded, so they all have arch support and they cradle the bottom of your foot. Sometimes in my sandals, I put a little EVA foam in between the leather so there’s even more cushion. My heels and wedges are made out of wood. Wood is a natural element and it’s got give to it. So you can actually walk in it.
BOYT: How would you describe your personal style?
Calleen Cordero: It’s pretty individual. I’m a woman of many different kinds of style. It really depends on my mood and my environment. But at heart, my personal style is pretty Bohemian! Chic Bohemian.
BOYT: Who is your favorite clothing designer?
Calleen Cordero: Ali Blankley. She has a collection called Hazel Brow. Phenomenal clothes. They’re almost like homeless-looking clothes, like a beautiful dress that’s kind of frayed on the edges.
BOYT: Are you working on expanding your collection beyond shoes, handbags, and belts?
Calleen Cordero: I launched a vest a few years ago, but I think it was just really early. I’ve been wearing mine and now everybody has been placing orders. So, I’m going to bring back the vest and I think the timing’s really right on them. Oh, but I have something super exciting happening! There’s a jewelry line called Alkamine and we’re going to be launching a collection for Spring 2011. We’re gonna do really killer, beautiful brass or nickel eagles, fox heads or stingrays. And we’re gonna put them on bags and shoes. It’s gonna be super hot. It’ll be limited production and signed.
BOYT: You seem pretty involved in the process of creating the shoes. Are you in the factory often?
Calleen Cordero: Everyday. I sit in the middle of the factory. I’m really accessible and I’m here 24/7. I’m here from morning to night all the time. I visit my store once a week. Otherwise, I’m here every day.
BOYT: You’re so busy, what do you do to recharge?
Calleen Cordero: I have a retreat that’s right before Santa Barbara. It’s in a small city called Ojai. I had the vision for about twenty years, and then, a couple of years ago, it was just time for me to buy something. I found a piece of land with a waterfall running through it. It’s pretty extraordinary. It sleeps about twenty-two people. There’s a spa. There’s an amphitheater. People get married there. It’s a fun, working retreat center that people privately rent out.
BOYT: It takes a lot of courage to pursue your dream. How does it feel to achieve your dream?
Calleen Cordero: Here I am! It’s really exciting to be sticking to my integrity of making shoes here in the U.S. and creating a really great company. I look forward to coming to work everyday. It’s awesome.
BOYT: What advice would you give your twenty-year-old self?
Calleen Cordero: Life is a journey. Don’t give up on what you’re passionate about. More advice? Take care of your body. Really look at what you’re eating, because we’re fed poison in this country. Women are powerful. They need to learn how to love themselves, honor themselves, and get empowered.
BOYT: Can you tell us something that our readers may be surprised to know about you?
Calleen Cordero: I go to Burning Man. I don’t know if that’s shocking. Burning Man filters out quite a bit of people. You have to be really prepared. It’s on a different level. I take picnics out on the playa, go to yoga. There are so many beautiful things you can do there, rather than just party with music. They have amazing music but there are art installations and exhibits. It’s extraordinary.
About Calleen Cordero
Calleen Cordero's first step on her journey to becoming one of today's most inspiring American designers began in Marin County, CA, where at the age of fifteen she was first immersed in the world of high fashion footwear. Beginning in sales at an upscale boutique, her innate talent for fashion and her passion for well-crafted shoes began to shine through, and Calleen soon found herself elevated to the position of assistant buyer, travelling to Europe to view collections and meet with designers, all by the age of sixteen. From this precocious beginning, Calleen went on to represent some of the top names in the footwear industry and learned about every aspect of the art and trade.
For more information on Calleen Cordero and to purhase her gorgeous line of shoes and accessories visit her website