Luxury shoe brand Gina has hit the shores of Dubai, bringing delicate fantasy footwear that will thrill even the most discerning UAE fashionista.
Just as Slumdog Millionaire propelled slum tourism to new heights in developing countries, the small-screen sizzler Sex and the City made acquiring couture shoes a global pastime. But the makers of Gina Shoes - the Kurdash brothers - are not impressed. For the sibling trio - Attila, Aydin and Altan - their glittering creations need no such bolstering.
"Sex and the City surely helped Manolo [Blahnik]. That's about it. In every shoemaker's life there comes a point when there is an amazing moment. For Manolo, that was his glorious moment. We rarely make a fuss about our shoes or who is wearing them," says Attila.
Case in point: it took them more than 30 minutes to casually mention that Paris Hilton had chosen a pair of Swarovski-encrusted heeled pumps to wear for her reality TV show Paris Hilton's Best Friend Forever Dubai.
In fact, these high priests of heels were far more excited to talk about their new flagship store at the sprawling Dubai Mall. Flanked by high-end luxury stores in the mall's up scale Fashion Avenue, the glittering showroom boasts arches - on the ceiling and on the soles of the shoes - and elfish signature logos on the floor.
"We don't believe in cutting corners. Five years ago, we were inundated with letters from our Middle Eastern customers to open a flagship store in this region. But we made the final decision only a year and a half ago after seeing the Dubai Mall in its final stages of construction. If you look around you, this showroom is just like the one in London. No expense has been spared," says Aydin.
Their love affair with the crystals started more than 50 years ago when their father Mehmet Kurdash established a high-end bespoke shoe company in 1954. He named the company after his muse, Italian movie icon Gina Lollobrigida. Since then, their fantastical shoes have found takers among celebrities including Madonna, Geri Halliwell, Kelly Osborne, Paris Hilton, Shilpa Shetty and many others.
Often cited as pioneers in stepping up the bling quotient in shoes, the Kurdash brothers admit toeing the line has not exactly been a breeze.
"It's not easy making shoes with lots of Swarovski crystals. Even if you use the finest ones, you could easily get it wrong and that is where we all come in. We are extremely critical about our own work and we are particular that only the most beautiful and the best products make it to our shelves," says Aydin. This adherence to quality has also made them one of the sole companies to manufacture bespoke shoes from London.
"When people hear about Gina, they assume we are Italians and not British. We are the last company in the whole of England that makes such high-end couture shoes. We don't outsource our labour to low-cost countries. Like our father said, there will always be demand for quality," says Attila Kurdash. The seemingly split-proof and recession-proof family business is equally strong about not bringing any brand ambassadors on board.
"We have our share of creative clashes and this one will go on forever. Do we look for the perfect face, the perfect foot or the perfect personality? We are all very passionate about Gina and this is one debate which will be difficult to resolve," says Attila. They are equally reticent while speaking about their celebrity clients who have stepped out in Gina at prestigious red carpet dos.
"One of our greatest strengths is discretion. We feel celebrities wear Gina because they are confident that we will never use their names to advance our company. We don't actively pursue them but it feels good when we see stars wearing Gina at important red carpet events," says Aydin.
So it should come as no surprise they would bestow the title of most ardent fan on a well-heeled lady who brought a pair of pink patent pumps and then got her Porsche sprayed the same colour.
"Normally, you hear about matching your dress to a shoe. But having somebody match their shoes to a car was a first. She sent the shoes to the Porsche factory in Stuttgart and got her car painted in that same shade of pink. She will always remain our most bizarre fan," explains Attila.
The twinkle in their eyes dim a little when asked about the one person who they wish would not sport a Gina creation.
"I think George Bush should stay away from Gina. He would look awful in heels," says Attila Kurdash laughing aloud. Bush-bashing aside, they are currently in the process of creating shoes for a Greek mythological drama.
"Our biggest challenge now is to create beautiful shoes for the gods. They need to look more than 1,000 years old. We have been given briefs but we love it when we need to exercise our creative instincts in this manner. It sets us thinking and we like that," says Attila. Creating shoes for Bond girls is another one of their more challenging ventures.
"When it comes to Bond movies, we have to create more than three pairs of the same shoe. The designs depend on what scene is being filmed. If it's a bedroom scene, then it has to be a sexy pair, if it's a stunt scene then it has to be a sturdy one," says Attila. Making fake heels from soft material was also a part of their design process.
"For the last Bond instalment [Quantum Of Solace], we had this scene where the girl was suspended in mid-air wearing our high heels. The stunt scene was such the actors were worried that the heels would hit them in the face and injure them. So in the end, we had to make a pair of soft heels. We made shoes in which you can float and fly," says Aydin.
The shoes displayed in the new glittering showroom are no less enchanting.
"With these on, any lady would feel glamorous, chic and sexy. There is an old world charm to them."
Fashion forgery
Their take on fashion piracy - especially after finding companies such as Moda in Pelle duplicating their designs:
"Counterfeiting is against the law. It is a sad day when fashion accepts the need to copy. Fashion should be about the world of creativity and imagination. Their blatant copying, non-caring attitude resulted in a court case. I am sure they will not cross our paths again," says Aydin.
