I spoke to Stephanie Jade London

Timi Olaitan

I spoke with Stephanie Dixon, owner of new high-end footwear company specialising in high heels ranging from narrow to wide fit. Stephanie Jade London launched ‘The Siam Collection’ on 4th July 2023 has since featured in a fashion show during London Fashion Week. Since our conversation, Steph has featured in ‘The W’ magazine. for their cover for The New Gen of Fashion Design.

‘Women should buy products that make them feel naturally good, rather than wishing they could change parts of themselves to fit the mould’

Red flags, Thailand and introspection

The collection was highly influenced by her time in Thailand, and so, our first and biggest topic of conversation was how she ended up in there. Steph had the opportunity to study in Thailand for her year abroad during her undergraduate course in International Business. A year prior, Steph was studying Fashion Communication and Promotion, however, during a one-to-one meeting with a lecturer she asked for more information on career prospects outside of university.

Their response…

“I don’t know”.

The red flags were brighter than the infamous Red Bottom, and Steph cleverly pivoted.

Steph was one of three black students in Thailand, and the only one from her university; noting that although she was an extrovert, she is something of a lone wolf and has often gone against the grain to do what she felt was right for her. For my next question, I referenced my first article ‘Introspection Bred Talent’ to ask her how going alone influenced her next steps. She agreed with my reflections, and related to the benefits of going from mundane daily life to a whole new experience alone, and how that isolation allowed her to sit down and plan the idea which first came to mind when she was 17…

‘Everyone deserves shoes that are stylish and comfortable’.

In the build up to a friend’s birthday dinner, Steph used the opportunity to order her first pair of heels. Excited to wear them, she tried them on before the day and quickly realised the shoe was so wrong for her, as they did not fit and sadly couldn’t wear them as she planned. She quickly realised there was not nearly enough on the market for women whose feet didn’t fit narrow or standard sizing, and decided she’d do something about it.

where many would have accepted their fate, she chose to pave a way and increase inclusion for women overlooked in high fashion.

From the sketchbook to the final product.

After writing down her company’s values and aims, Steph set out on her search for a manufacturer. Initially, she wanted them based in Europe, to allow for better communication and easy travel if need be. She quickly realised this was a luxury not only in price but also skillset, as many manufacturers could not make the sizes she hoped to create. After a few months, she landed in Hong Kong.

*Manufacturers are unable to make shoes for feet belonging to approximately 1.2 million people across Europe and North America alone.

Using the resources provided during her final year MA in Fashion Business and Management, Stephanie worked on the company packaging, logo, designing the heels themselves and conducted market research where she interviewed podiatrists to better understand foot health and made a note to never compromise health for the appearance of beauty. Some standout features about the company: the items are made from genuine leather and high-quality satin, sourced from snails who will live on after weaving the material, unlike many other brands, who use the opposite to cut cost and each sole contains extra padding to avoid compromise on comfort.

I asked for some of her funniest realisations in the process, and she told me about her experience once receiving her first sample, where she opened the box and saw 3 shoes rather than 3 pairs. After writing a strongly worded email to the manufacturer, they explained shoe samples came in one shoe rather than in pairs to reduce waste in the event of any, which is likely in the early stages of design.

She described receiving her first, perfect pair as a surreal experience. From sketches to tangible objects. Her proudest and most unforgettable moment was her first time seeing the shoes in their boxes.

The Siam Collection

Tansanee

Homage to the temples she visited in Bangkok, gilded in gold, structured and with beautiful patterns, with gems surrounding royal buildings.

Sandara

Inspired by her time in the Islands, notably Koh Samui, decorated with beautiful sunsets graded from a calming pink to warm orange, while performers in outfits adorned with rhinestones entertained the Island.

Ara

From her time in Kanchanaburi, home to Erawan Falls, surrounded by greenery, unusual plants and charm the environment pushed her to officially write out her plans for her brand and the heels are an ode to the natural environment of the outskirts of the capital.

Stephanie hopes to empower women to exude confidence and sexiness, without the worry of suffering in the process and her values for inclusion, quality and sustainability to be running themes throughout the business.

To round up our conversation, I asked Stephanie who had been instrumental to the company so far, and did not fail to mention the overwhelming support received from friends and family, especially her mother, who noted Stephanie’s passion for fashion from an early age.

Dear future business owners,

Her two biggest pieces of advice: stay organised and don’t underestimate sacrifice!

We discussed instances in which her dream took priority, including saving from her 9-to-5 to build the company and denying herself of some well-deserved items. A side note from Steph; be strategic when finding a job – flexibility is a must. A field related to your business is a bonus.

‘no one is around to remind you to send that email or create that social media post. You are your own boss’

I want to thank Stephanie for agreeing to speak with me, and to use the audio from our conversation to kickstart The Social Scribe Podcast.