Oh i was so excited yesterday when Kailia site went live!  this is a culmination of months of work. collaboration between my brother clark (thanks again clark!), the whizes at SiteKreator who made this all happen (big thanks to Lenkov and nancy! to make this all possible).

what was the fuss about? it's about autonomy..the site was made by a pro when we first went live last year.  Flash and codes and all that techie stuff made me feel alienated from my own site. So the decision was made to un-flash the site (sorry to those who enjoyed the glowing logo), so i can make my own updates.  So please bear with me if you see imperfections. Drop me a line (write comment below)  with any comments.

hope you enjoy the new look of Kailia. we are also excited to present the new online shop so you can be in timbuktu and have a pair of Kailia arrive at your store steps...wait, does UPS deliver to Timbuktu?

Breathing seems like such a natural act...in and out and in and out....anyone born on this planet is programmed to breathe.

I, being a member of the planet earth, is no different.....although being in business dealing with people from all over the world and different ethics, i find myself often holding in my breath....from the smoke-addicted italians, to the stress of deadlines, to the amazing arrays of stunts i face everyday...

Believing not in coincidences, i am beginning to realize this incredibly colorful odyssey (starting Kailia) is not only about business; it's also about grace under pressure.  It's about tolerance, patience (a healthy dose of that), the importance of thinking positive, and it's a stern tester of one's faith.

Thanks to all my friends who kindly offer support and advice...you know what they say to me?  BREATHE.... simple and do-able..

So regardless of whether the sun is shining or storm raging, i shall keep on breathing.   In and out...In and out.

On this beautiful autumn morning, i've discovered....the air smells sweet!

Hi y'all,
No (wo)man is an island, we all need a little help now and then...Living in Italy and working with vendors from all over the world, puts me in a position to need help from my friends in different corners of the globe from time to time. this goes beyond business.....it shows the beautiful side of humanity that i'm privileged to witness from time to time.

This time we are in Chicago the windy city. My buddy Bianca Alexander from Conscious Living TV is the hero of this tale. 

I just discovered a wonderful material that is bio-degradable. working on a project with a tight deadline, i had to send this material from the USA to Portugal. Since it's a foreign delivery, they cannot accept credit card, and wiring the money would take too long.  So being the brainy problem solver that i am, i decided to route it out from USA.  Since our SF office is on the OTHER side of the continent, and wouldn't be carbon friendly if we had it shipped to SF and cross the US to Europe, i asked Bianca in chicago if she would ship it out for me. 

Being a friendly intrepid trooper, she said yes.

I think mercury was in serious retrograde, because it took a team of 3 people + me waiting on the other side of the pond, trying to figure out why UPS didn't pick up. Long story short and Moral of the story. Dont give out your UPS # to someone and expect smooth shipping.  UPS is not the most reliable/friendly of corriers anymore. Good to have backup and the good ol'  Post Office (though slower than others) is the slow turtle that wins.  It helps to have a good sense of humor, AND dont' forget to breathe in those moments.

After many valiant attempts..these eco friendly babies finally borded the plane heading for europe.  Despite a rocky start, hope these material will make it to the factory on time.

Thanks Bianca, Michael and Dorothy!

Living in italy teaches me to slow down and smell the spaghetti (vegan of course)...especially in August of every year. The country shuts down, i mean SHUT DOWN. ..factories, stores, restaurants, bakeries, municipal services have a skeleton crew for emergencies; the city becomes a ghost town. In some cases even post offices have reduced days.  They flock to the sea to crowd elbows with the rest of the population (and a few northern sunlovers) to spend hours on the roadways, and eventually to work on their famous dark brown italian tan.

This is all fine and good when i'm one of them that are going away; but i'm one of those who stayed in the empty town.  Planning production when factories/vendors close is not an enjoyable task. The mad rush to get everything done for the August Rush is...shall we say...hair raising?  i have 3 grey hairs to prove it.

For Fall i'm offering some beautiful biodegradable suede maryjanes, and thigh high boots (stay tuned to the website, am working on it!) and booties in brocade...i was so pleased with myself until i had to order materials. Thanks to the economic downturn, vendors don't stock materials that i was looking for.  i was crestfallen!!!

The clock was ticking-3 more weeks til the August closure. what to do? it put my visualization skills to the test.  Extreme test!  I had to select the material, make the protos and order production yardage before even having even touched the material.  Because the factory is closing in August and i have to go into production as soon as they come back from holidays (it takes another 2 weeks to put their head back on). No time to waste. Needless to say, i prayed a lot during this period.

Now the task is done- miraculously the samples turned out better than it had anticipated. i cried when the box came in because i was afraid of what i would find. Now we'll just have to get the factory to fire up the the equipment and get them made.  Here is a little sneak preview...unsure what my fave is yet.. cant' wait for weather to turn cool so i can  take them for a spin. 

ps: I am of the school that does not like to scour the fashion magazines as a full time occupation; i don't want to be brainwashed by the mass media.  Opting instead for a dose of real inspiration, having the collection represent how i see the modern woman. Well whadya know! the Cuissard (aka thigh high boots) are all the rage this season. Kailia proudly offers our version. Have you seen Prada's fishing boots up practically to the waist? but that's made from some poor ol' cow's back.  You can have all the style without wearing someone's mother on your feet.  Compassion is the sign of REAL style!

Thanks to this marvelous internet technology, through my blog, i've met the most wonderful people.. people who have read what i've wrote and resonate with it, then take the time to acknowledge, thus contact/friendship is made.  I cannot believe how many wonderful souls are out there, who have found me....Today i would like to tell you about one of them.  Her name is Dana.

Dana is very special..she is a young lady from New York, who transplanted to LA. a vegetarian shoe designer, Dana is taking some time out to nurture her beautiful son who was born last dec.  Doesn't he look like a Gerber baby with those cheeks?

She found me and offered to be of help...i've only seen her once, but she has tirelessly helped me promote the brand, organize sales events with little Hunter in tow. she is my cheerleader who is simply an angle of light.....after each email or skype chat..she signs off with  "sweet blessings".  Those words comfort me and each time brings me close to tears of gratitude.  In the midst of so much perceived lack and scarcity, Dana is unwavered in her belief in the generosity of the Universe.

This entry is a special thank you for Dana- who is an angle with a compassionate heart.. Sweet blessings to you Dana and all of you out there reading this blog.  May you be inspired by all the goodness around you!

Ciao tutti,
I was in California to visit family and to continue spreading the word about Kailia Footwear, when my partner Dana called with an exciting project Discarded to Divine, which is a fundraiser for St. Vincent de Paul society, over the years it has become a big whoo whoo shin dig in San Francisco.

Kailia was invited as a guest designer to submit a pair of shoes made from discarded items (picked up at the St. Vincent de Paul "store", where the homelss go and scope out their next outfit).  I wasn't  very convinced because i had very little time...i promised myself that if the idea came to me while Dana is pitching to me , i'd do it....Lo and behold; during the conversation, i saw clearly a pr of white boots with flowers growing all around it, like a trellis...so i agreed to do it.

we were a late entry, so when we showed up at the store, there was little left.  a hawaiian shirt here, an embroidered sweater there (big shoulders and loud, joan collin's style). i was looking for go go boots but all i had was a pr of black boots with the heels all wrong. How was i going to make this happen???


Another trip to salvation army proved a bit more fruitful.  old silk flowers with decades of dust,  some old ribbons and a bathing suit with promising colors.  I called my best partner in crime- my sister Lily ..a bridal gown designer, we set out to make the vision a reality.

We had such fun creating this piece!  when we were done, it was a piece of art that i could barely believe it came from discarded items. It was exactly what i had envisioned (dare i say even a wee bit better?)..couldn't wait to see the reaction.


So the much anticipated event came around on Mya 7th, Unfortunately i had already reutrned to Italy.  Dana and Bertrand Pellegrin went to the event as Kailia special guests.  So many beautiful original creations! when Ode to Spring came on stage, the music of "these boots are made for walking" by Nancy Sinatra synched perfectly to the lovely model who strutted her stuff.  The audience howled and clapped with enthusiasm and pleasure.  I am so pleased!

see the photos from the event:
http://harberphotography.wordpress.com/2009/05/12/discarded-to-divine-2/

Fun was had by all..wish i were there.

Ciao tutti,
Being a pioneer in a new field is not easy.  Pioneer in the sense that my shoes are a hybrid of ecology/compassion with fashion.  Usually Fashion stores don't know what to do with the Eco story (though that is changing thankfully!), fur and python are still considered mere "textures".  Eco shoe stores usually focus on comfort, don't have a section for beautiful heels for the conscious urban girl.  Throw in the state of the economy, seems stores are shrinking away from any new untried brands.

Since i'm a firm believer in manifestation, have asked Source to look into this matter for me. Lo and behold, a beautiful solution was found.

A friend of mine Antonio, who owns a store named Uomini é Uomini (which means Men & Men), sells...guess what? men's furnishings in his store.  Since action has been slow since the economy downfall, he's been looking for creative ways to liven up the action.

Well, we certainly make for strange bedfellows (figuratively of course!). I am all about feminine and veg, his store carries boxers and ties and beauty products for men; but we had nothing to lose, so i made some vegan hors d'oeuvres and showed up in a vintage kimono (gotta look the part!) the party was a smashing success!

It was an auspicious sign when i was dressing the window with Antonio the night before at 11:30PM.  Some passersby knocked on the window and wanted to know how much the shoes cost, they were so excited!.. The next day the store was packed!  the women were goo-gooing and gaga-ing over how the shoes made them feel..how comfortable they are..."oh, they are vegan? what does that mean?"  

It was definitely NOT the vegetarian crowd, but it didn't matter. I came to the realization that the fact the shoes appeal to the aesthetics was the #1 reason to buy.  The rest were just cherries on the cake.  Many of them went home with a new awareness, that their dollars (euros in this case) is a powerful way to change the marketplace.  Also doing something for the environment doesn't mean they have to sacrafice style.

Moments of joy: a woman who claims she never wears heels, ordered not one, but TWO pairs of Grazia.  Elena who loved the Nobilia heels from Fall, sat there and stared at them for about an hour (this is her in the photo)...she walked home with them.  Giaquinta is having a birthday this weekend, she wants to wear her new pair of Victorias to celebrate her special day.  Italian women are notoriously finicky with shoes...Kailia passed the litmous test, yipeee!

So antonio got a renewed flow of traffic, i got validation that the Kailia shoes are on the right track. Win Win for all.  This worked out so well that we are talking about making Kailia Footwear a permenant fixture in Uomini & Uomini.  So come visit if you are in the neighborhood!

Who would've thought? 

Ciao tutti,
Kailia now has a little sister, her name is Do-Ni Gift of Love.  I've been absent for months, because i was busy implementing this idea that came to me in meditation.....yeah, that's when the best ideas come...It was an idea of merging commerce with philanthropy.

So here's the scoop- Do-Ni Gift of Love is a collaboration of sorts with me and my new veg. designer friend Carlotta, we decided to do a little project where we design a ballerina flat (much wider audience than towering heels), sell directly to the public.  With the retail margin gained through direct sales, we will donate it to worthy causes.

100% of retail profit.  yes.... why? because i think in this tough economic climate, for profits are suffering, let alone the non-profits.  There are tons of very noble organizations that are there in the frontlines, combatting injustice, helping those who the society has forgotten. 

If the people realize that they dont have to pay more for a product, but the profit is channeled in a worthy way, isnt' that a win win situation?  wouldn't you want to put your money where it's going further?

check out the new site www.do-ni.com  let me know what you think! love to hear your feedback!   if you like the idea, spread the word.   we are also on facebook http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=38573083513&ref=ts

When i was in Düsseldorf doing the show, a pair of Belgian twins came to my stand.  These beautiful young ladies own a vegan shoe store in Antwerp called Georgette Shoes www.georgette.be  . 

In the hour+ of friendly conversation that ensued, i learned that there is another vegetarian designer who is in Bologna, whose collection is The Flying Cow...i was floored! 

another mosca bianca (which translates to white fly, how often do you see THAT?) just like me.  I promptly contacted this white fly, who happens to be called Carlotta Fiorini. www.theflyingcow.it

We met and instantly connected!  Carlotta is a vegetarian of 20+ years. Actively involved in animal rights, she also worked for Bruno Magli, Gucci etc...out of this encounter is born a new collaboration.  Since we share the same concerns for the animals and the environment, we are going to create a single style of ballerina flats, made from vintage/recycled fabrics...proceeds with go to animalisti italiani and greenpeace.

we are going to call this Do-Ni, a marriage between Dong and Fiorini...this name is particularly significant, because DONI also means gifts in italian. how appropriate!

we want to sell all over the globe these little flats (still under construction), bringing awareness to the consumer that their wallet is a powerful voting tool, and we encourage that they exercise their right to choose products that are made with ethics and integrity.   Tell your shoe stores to carry eco-ethical shoes, that will open doors for us for when we come knocking.

i firmly believe that compassion is the most important ingredient to fabulous style......can you imagine the old "fashionable" ladies with a dead fox draped around her, glass eyes and all.....what does that say about HER?  hmmmmmm.....

Hello everyone,
long time no see on-line! you can probably guess where i've been, deep in work- planning and working on the next phase of the campaign...SALES!

for a shy gal like me (don't even like having my photo taken), getting the courage to call and sell myself (and the shoes) is quite the daunting task. It's a bit like pulling something deep from your soul and putting it out there for everyone to critique. 

So first step was to get exposure- i went to Dusseldorf, Germany, at the GDS show, where i was flanked by a stand that favores crocodile skin made into belts and bags, and another shoe designer who is making a mark by using seal fur.  I thought i was in the wrong pavillion, but unfortunately the environment/animal rights issues is not yet in "fashion".


Despite of it all, I made my first sales there- what a thrill!  a woman from Ireland came and scanned the stand.  She loved what she saw and within 15 min wrote the order. I was explaining to her about the ecological components, but she was lost in the beauty of how the swaroviski crystals dangle seductively on her ankle.  Hey, that works for me!

The shoes were snapped up by a designer Beatrice Bonk in Germany, who wants them to complement her clothing designs.  That was really a great compliment...

the most unpleasant part of doing these shows is people who light up their cigarettes inside the pavillions when they are not supposed to. I wish that would change.


Then a trip to London and Paris is of course a right of passage for Kailia. Samples in tow, i made around the cities and talked about my works of love.  Strangely enough, when i talk about what i'm passionate about to the store owners- such as the low environmental impact of the making of these shoes, or the importance of being eco-sustainable in the fashion industry, my shyness fell away to a strong rooted conviction that a better world is possible, and i am offering them the possiblity to share this with the world!  this fills me with confidence and vigor.

Paris was well received. Numanu in the Marais was an enthousiastic partner. They sell a collection of eco-sustainable clothing collection www.numanu.com...their fall collection seems to be made for my shoes. I can't wait for them to be merchandised together! 

Devi Doll in London- an exclusive on-line ethical fashion boutique, fell head over heels with the shoes.  Lulie B in Brighton (OMG, i have never seen so many vegetarian restaurants in such concentration! HEAVEN!!!) Overall the response was overwhelmingly positive!  we only wished that the pound is a bit stronger...and the dollar too.  but that's beyond my control.

by the way, did you hear about the NASA report that the polar glaciers are melting? # cause of this is animal farming?  for more info: www.Godsdirectcontact.org to download info to read and pass on(electronically of course, not wasting paper).

good night y'all...