The Founder
Founder
Nanna Liv
From:
Denmark
Live in:
London
The Founder
Sargossa is the brainchild of designer Nanna Liv, poised to become synonymous with the stiletto revolution, fusing the worlds of lofty heels and comfort.
Why are stiletto designers predominantly men?
“Stiletto designers have historically been men, who have not had to walk in them, which shows!” says Nanna. “It’s assumed that we as women will blindly accept the saying ‘No pain, no gain’ and I wanted to put an end to that.” Which is why, unlike most cordwainers, her design process began with studying anatomy and speak to podiatrists and sector experts to understand the world of feet and the challenges our bodies are faced with from wearing heels.
A painful part of the uniform led to a stiletto brand
Having spent many years working in the fashion industry, Nanna created Sargossa with the professional woman in mind. “I always wore stilettos for work as part of my professional appearance, but found they were forever painful” says Nanna, but what she didn't know at the time, was that she was starting something bigger than just a small addition to a shoe. “I decided to dedicate 2 years to come up with a solution, whatever it was, to make it possbile to wear heels all day, everyday - feeling fabulous and painfree in heels. However it was never the intension having to launch a whole stiletto brand, but it was what was needed. There are so many stages in the production of a shoes that have an enormous impact of the comfort aspect, and I would never be able to get the combination of comfort and look 100% perfect, if I didn't do it all the way".
Nanna most have done something right, as she quickly after launching her brand in 2014 at London Fashion Week, had forever devoted A-list celebreties such as Helen Mirren wearing her stilettos over and over again.
Extensive research and a winner in the fashion industry
Armed with extensive research into the perfect position, width and even ideal platform height for keeping feet easy, her old passion for drawing was reignited and she began to create beautiful stilettos. Nanna have 6 years in a row been shortlisted as the Footwear Designer of the year in the UK, and was runner up against Jimmy Choo in 2016.
“Shoe lovers have traditionally had a choice between shoes that look good and shoes that are actually comfortable, but Sargossa bridges this gap without sacrificing on comfort or style,” declares Nanna.