By Douglas Williams
Rosamund Muir, shoe designer, businesswoman, multi-linguist and mum of three first arrived in Bucharest in 2007, just before Romania joined the EU. Thirteen years on, this stylish woman is proud to still call Bucharest home and she can’t imagine living anywhere else.
“I have a huge affection for Bucharest and I really like showing visiting friends around, they are always so impressed,” says Rosamund. It wasn’t always so. “It’s been wonderful to watch the evolution of this city. When we arrived there was a darkness. It was a bit depressing, especially coming from London. It has slowly but surely developed into this cool city with an independent, edgy, hip vibe. It’s really come on in leaps and bounds. It’s so different now, it’s so cosmopolitan.”
Rosamund’s shoe line combines glamour with comfort and she designs them to survive the rigours of her busy day-to-day life. She “road tests” each and every facet of her shoes to destruction. Literally! “I want to show that you can be both comfortable and stylish, you don’t have to compromise,” Rosamund says.
While raising her three kids, she also undertook courses in shoe-making at the prestigious London College of Fashion, telling herself and her husband that once the youngest was attending school she’d launch her shoe brand. And so it has come to pass. Most “Rosamund Muir” shoes are made from a fabric called ‘vitello hair leather’ and all of her shoes have a distinctive star. “We women are all stars and I want my shoes to make the wearer feel like a star. Each of my shoe lines is named after key people in my life. My tagline is ‘Rock it with Spirit.’”
The shoes are all crafted here in Bucharest at an atelier in the south of the city. Most of the materials come from Italy, but the work of putting the shoes together is 100% Romanian and Rosamund couldn’t be happier with the quality of the craftsmanship being achieved every day. “There is so much talent here.”
See www.rosamundmuir.com for more information.
