It all began years ago when Ruth, SHE OFFICIEL'S founder, would lose herself for hours, daydreaming about shoes. Shoes had always held a special place in her life—serving as a form of escape during her challenging childhood. Slipping into a pair of elegant, delicate shoes would transport her to another world, where she felt empowered and different, as if she could conquer her own struggles in those moments.
Never did Ruth imagine that she would one day create her own footwear brand. For her, designing shoes was simply a creative outlet. In the quiet of her West Hampstead studio apartment, where she lived with her partner (now husband), Ruth would experiment with textures, colors, and silhouettes, often sketching on the kitchen floor and covering their small flat with fabric swatches.
Living in London allowed Ruth to discover her unique sense of style. While she was enamoured with the elegance of a beautiful pair of Jimmy Choo heels, she also longed for shoes that combined comfort with edge. But she couldn’t find anything that struck the right balance—comfortable shoes were either too basic or too ornate. So, to play it safe, she settled for simple trainers that still had a chic appeal, perfect for her work at Conde Nast.
It was at Conde Nast that Ruth noticed something striking—about 80% of the workforce were women, many of whom were mothers, all wearing the same type of practical yet stylish shoes. This sparked an idea. Determined to channel her own creative spirit, Ruth began exploring her ideas where she collaborated with an Italian manufacturer to develop a prototype, transforming her vision into a tangible, wearable piece of art, which further fuelled her enthusiasm. Each day, while handling emails, she’d receive fabric swatches at the office, eagerly experimenting with them in between tasks.
After going through many obstacles and setbacks, Ruth finally found an atelier that could bring her vision to life, creating the prototype that would mark the beginning of SHE OFFICIEL’s debut collection.
Now, as a mother of two, Ruth pours her heart into crafting pieces that she believes her clients will adore, all while continuing to build her brand and grow as a designer with each step of the journey.
