Meet Amina Muaddi, The Designer Responsible For Rihanna's Favourite Sandals
The global footwear market has become increasingly competitive, with more small and independent brands emerging and differentiating themselves by offering an exclusivity that larger companies cannot. Growing up between Jordan, Romania, and Italy, Amina Muaddi has developed an eye for what tastemakers around the world really want — a perfect blend of effortless glamour, impeccable craftsmanship, and fashion-forward style, which constantly conveys new and fresh ideas, but with roots in timeless quality.
After studying at the European Institute of Design in Milan and working as a stylist for a number of prominent magazines, this strong-minded Gemini discovered that designing shoes was the perfect expression of her creative vision. She challenged herself to learn the trade, moving to the Riviera del Brenta, Italy's famed shoemaking district.
There, Muaddi worked with world-class artisans and suppliers to develop each of the 40 to 50 components in her shoes. She co-founded her first footwear brand, called Oscar Tiye, in Milan, before moving to Paris, where she began a fruitful collaboration with French couturier Alexandre Vauthier.
The designer and entrepreneur remembers telling her mother, at the tender age of nine, that she wanted to be a part of the fashion world. "I was into fashion because of her; she was very chic, with a big shoe closet, and she dressed me very well," Muaddi recalls.
Now, with her eponymous label, Muaddi is creating her own world. Her shoes — designed in Paris and produced in Italy, but with an international heart — are sensual, sophisticated, and run across a wide range of styles, including slingbacks, sneakers, boots, and mules. Easily identifiable thanks to the signature flared "martini" heel, they are always fun, always brightly-hued, and often come adorned with rhinestones and feathers.
Like Christian Louboutin and Manolo Blahnik before her, Muaddi has a knack for capturing the zeitgeist. Unlike Blahnik, however, who had several seasons of Sex and the City as his showcase, the buzz around her designs is spread via celebrities, who post photos of themselves wearing her shoes on social media — her long list of famous fans includes Rihanna, Dua Lipa, Kendall Jenner, Gigi Hadid, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, and Kim Kardashian (she likes to call them #AminasLadies). In fact, RiRi loves Muaddi's heels so much that she invited the designer to create a collection of shoes for her fashion house Fenty.
Despite having amassed such a stellar clientele, Muaddi reveals there are two more women she'd like to dress: former first lady Michelle Obama, and the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle.
At the present moment, Muaddi's small but mighty team consists of herself and four others, who are in the early stages of their careers. “I like to surround myself with young people who can grow with me,” she says.
Her office headquarters serves as her personal residence, although she is looking to relocate. “I'm not particularly attached to any place. I like to change," she explains. She also aspires to have her own factory in Italy, where her shoes and their parts can be manufactured and assembled in the same place.
Be sure to keep an eye on Amina Muaddi, because you're sure to see a lot more of her (on celebrity Instagrams and in the industry in general) in the future.
