AMINA MUADDI

For a statement heel you'll actually re-wear, many owners say yes. The appeal is that these are designer party shoes you can genuinely stand in, thanks to the brand's signature sculptural flared heel that spreads your weight over a wider base. Designer Amina Muaddi earned Footwear News Designer of the Year in 2019 within a year of launching, so the craft credentials are real. Work out your cost-per-wear: if you dress up often, a pair earns its keep; if not, treat it as a special-occasion investment.

Comfort is a big part of the brand's reputation — the flared heel design is widely praised for being easier to balance on than a thin stiletto, which is rare in luxury footwear. On quality, Muaddi learned the trade in Italy's historic shoemaking region of Riviera del Brenta, working directly with artisans there, and that hands-on grounding shows in the finishing. Sizing can run a touch narrow, so if you have a wider foot it's worth trying a half-size up.

Both are cult favourites, so it comes down to mood. The Begum is the slingback you've seen everywhere and reads as the modern everyday hero of the line, while the Gilda mule with its fluted heel leans more playful and glamorous. If you want the most versatile first pair, the Begum tends to work with the widest range of looks; choose the Gilda if you specifically want that sculptural, eye-catching silhouette.

Amina Muaddi is a Jordanian-Romanian fashion designer, born in Romania to a Jordanian father and a Romanian mother. She knew by the age of nine that she wanted to work in fashion, studied at the European Institute of Design in Milan, and worked as an assistant stylist for titles including Vogue Italia and GQ in New York before moving into footwear. The brand carries her own name and her own eye.

Muaddi launched her eponymous label in August 2018. Before that she co-founded the luxury label Oscar Tiye in Milan in 2013 and worked with Alexandre Vauthier on his footwear line in Paris, before leaving Oscar Tiye in 2017 to strike out on her own. So while the brand is relatively young, it stands on years of footwear experience.

In Italy, where Muaddi trained. She moved to Riviera del Brenta — Italy's historical shoe-making district — specifically to learn the craft alongside its artisans and suppliers, and that region remains the heart of fine Italian footwear production. That deliberate apprenticeship in a heritage shoemaking area is a big part of why the brand reads as a serious craft label rather than just a trend.

Yes. At the end of 2019, Rihanna commissioned Muaddi to design footwear for her brand Fenty, and the first drop launched in July 2020. It's one of the clearest signs of how quickly she became fashion's go-to footwear name. The collaboration put her sculptural heel sensibility in front of an even bigger audience.

A genuinely high-profile list. Her shoes have been worn by Bella and Gigi Hadid, Kim Kardashian, Kylie Jenner and Rihanna, and in late 2024 K-Pop star Rosé was featured wearing the Lupita crystal slipper. That kind of organic celebrity adoption — rather than paid placement alone — is a big reason the styles sell out so fast.

Several, and quickly. She took the Footwear News Achievement Award for Launch of the Year in 2018, the very year her brand debuted, followed by Designer of the Year in 2019. In February 2023 she also received the Neiman Marcus Award for Innovation in the Field of Fashion. For a label only a few years old, that's a remarkable run of industry recognition.

Yes — most notably in music-meets-fashion territory. In December 2020 she collaborated with rapper A$AP Rocky and his creative agency AWGE on a footwear capsule. She was also a juror for the 2020 Vogue Arabia Fashion Prize. These projects show a designer who moves comfortably between luxury footwear and broader pop culture.

Because these are delicate dress shoes — often with crystal embellishment or PVC elements — treat them gently. Store them in their box with the heel protected, keep crystals and clear materials away from heavy friction and harsh cleaners, and wipe with a soft dry cloth after wear. Adding a thin sole protector before the first wear helps preserve the leather sole. A little care keeps that just-out-of-the-box sparkle for many seasons.