5 minutes with... ABO SHOES
We caught up with the designer Iva Ljubinkovic to bring you more insight into the ABO world.
1) What designs are you working on now?
We are working on some completely new shoe lasts but are also adding finishing touches for the new winter styles. We promise you’ll love them.
2) What is your personal favourite colour combination?
My favourite colour combination is pink and green.
3) Why did you decide to do bags and t-shirts?
T-shirts and bags are my personal project that I work alone on. T-shirts are kind of an experiment but bags are my no.1 passion and something I wanted to do even before I started doing shoes. I am planning on focusing more on bags in the future, so I am trying to find an adequate manufacturer. I am aware that nowadays having the right production regarding quality but also fair trade is simply a must. I want to see smiles on both our customers’ and production workers’ faces.
4) How would you describe the ideal ABO customer?
Our customers are the ones that value classic shoe styles with a modern twist. ABO shoes are simply built to last, we are very proud to say that we are producing high quality shoes that will last for seasons. We also trying to fulfil our obligation towards the planet, so we are consciously choosing classic looking styles over trends, quality over quantity, and we feel that our customers value the same things.
5) ABO Shoes and Ana Ljubinkovic's collections complement each other beautifully, do you design with her collections in mind or vice versa?
We are working on the shoe collections together, go through designs and manufacturing process each step along. They complement each other spontaneously but I'd rather say that it's due to ABO's classic styles. I would say ABO shoes actually go with almost each fashion trend or style.
6) What is your go to pair of shoes?
For me, it is the Dorothy strap pumps. Lately it's been quite a refreshment to have more simple styles, but also our Heart brogues are forever charming.
7) What do you want people to enjoy about your designs?
Interesting designs and colours, great quality and fair-trade.
8) What inspires you right now and how is it feeding in to your work?
Art and our beautiful planet are ever inspiring us, that is ever-present.
9) ABO Shoes are handmade using leather, are there any other materials you would like to experiment with in the future?
We would surely like to experiment with different materials, but I have to say, we only use stock leather - high quality Italian leather surplus that we buy from a big shoe production. This means we utilise leather that would otherwise at some point be destroyed. ABO is not planning to change that and beside our small fair-trade production and sales, our limited source of leather is the reason we still have a limited production. Therefore, I think we will only experiment when we find a way to keep our principles.