Written by Jennifer Jaconelli
Monday, 08 February 2010 05:30
We live in a society ruled by aesthetics. Some of the most lucrative industries on the planet are those that aid people in improving their appearance. The media has conveyed both male and female physical ideals that consequently bestow hefty pressures on the population. For women, the crème de la crème of physical beauty resides around a tall, wispy and sylph-like physique. Although having legs up to your earlobes is enviable, there are certain drawbacks that restrict tall women.
For Rebecca Martinez-Ferriera, it has always been a struggle to find clothes and shoes that fit. At 6 ft 2, she exceeds averages in both height and shoe size, “growing up was a nightmare. I wore boy's shoes all the time. I had one pair of one inch heeled court shoes from a specialist shop to wear when I wore skirts but that was it”.
High street brands tend to cater for the regular amongst us, leaving tall women like Martinez-Ferreria with little choice when it comes to donning the latest trends. Her love of shoes failed to be materialised due to the fact that shops didn’t stock her size, “the last 10 years has seen some stores go up to a size 9 so that is an improvement, and one high street plus-size store goes to a size 10 but only offers wide and extra wide fittings. The high street is all about mass market so it's understandable that they don't offer something for everyone.”
Through a childhood and adolescence of torture from terrible shoes, Martinez-Ferriera decided to embark on an initiative that she knew millions of fellow fuller-footed women would appreciate. A year ago, Amazona Style was born. “I set up Amazona Style to provide glamorous, desirable shoes to women with larger feet (UK size 8-11). Somewhere that offers designer quality and service with a wide range of fabulous footwear for every occasion.” Amazona Style has now started stocking footwear up to a size 12 due to popular demand, and the site also includes a wide range of fashion forward accessories, “I found some great young British handbag designers here in London, together with some amazing jewellery designers such as Delaila and the celebrities favourite, Dogeared from California." Martinez-Ferriera’s bright idea has brought handbags, heels and happiness into the lives of a large group of women who once felt neglected by the fashion world.
The introduction of Sex and the City into our lives has provoked a frantic mania for designer heels. Women are going for style over comfort with what they put on their feet and the ownership of beautiful shoes has become imperative to women on a global scale, “my generation has had over a decade of shoes being touted as the all-important, defining accessory. Between Manolo-mania and the Choo-craziness, women were bound to get caught up in the frenzy.” However, there is a deeper foundation routed in our shoe desires, as when you wear the right heels it can significantly boost your self-esteem, “heels make you walk better, change the shape of your body making you leaner and give you an extra confidence. Heels are glamorous and desirable and therefore make me feel the same when I wear them.” Martinez-Ferriera believes that irrespective of your without-heels height, every woman feels better when they have a piece of elegant artistry strapped to their soles.
Naming Nicholas Kirkwood and Manolo Blahnik amongst her favourite shoe designers, Martinez-Ferriera has always had a passion for glamorous footwear. Her enthusiasm to bring this luxury to ladies with larger feet is about to extend further to her own range of footwear, launching in 2010. She designs alongside Brazilian design student, Aline Terra, and this partnership has witnessed the birth of a plethora of high quality, sensational shoes in plus sizes. The future launch of these shoes will allow Martinez-Ferriera to transmit her fervour through creativity and alongside the designers already showcased on the site, she will leave her customers spoilt for choice.
Another valuable addition to Amazona Style is Martinez-Ferriera’s thriving blog that tackles the trials and tribulations of being a tall woman, but also celebrates the many benefits of an elevated physique, “I felt I had lots of tips on where to shop (when you're super-tall) for starters having spent years hunting down jeans in a 38 inch inside leg and where to get evening gowns that fit 6ft2 women who wear 4inch heels.” Blog topics range from 'Reasons to Celebrate Being a Tall Woman' to 'Why Tall Women are Like Lamborghinis.' Martinez-Ferriera hopes to give her readers confidence and help tall women feel comfortable in their own skin. With a fresh set of global contributors set to come on board in the New Year, and a provision of a forum on the site, a vast support system is being built alongside Amazona Style’s e-commerce service, to provide women with more than just shoes.
The New Year will bring much excitement to Amazona Style, as alongside the launch of Martinez-Ferriera’s own line of footwear and the additions of global blog contributors, there will be several new international brands joining site, helping Amazona Style to reach the universal market, for which there are millions of women in need of their service.
For Rebecca Martinez-Ferriera, finding the right shoes has been life changing, and her passion to transmit this same feeling to large footed women worldwide has resulted in not only a thriving business, but a community of tall women who exchange friendship and advice. It’s exciting to envisage what the future will hold for Amazona Style and what Martinez-Ferriera will do next in her quest to bring dazzling shoes to the lusciously lofty women of the world.
“When I was researching the business I came across a quote by Bette Midler - "Give a girl the right shoes and she can conquer the World". Well, I've got the shoes now so I have no excuse!”
For more information visit: www.amazonastyle.com
Saturday 04 February 2012
