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71
THE SHOE DESIGNER
ELENA MUÑOZ
ElenaMuñoz says that she always wanted to be a shoe
designer because, “my dad was a cobbler and I grew up
seeing boring old shoes with holes in them.” However,
although she studied design inMadrid, one of Europe’s most
stylish cities, she’s adamant that there’s no better place than
Alicante for shoe lovers. “Some of the best designers, like
StuartWeitzman and ChieMihara, have factories or studios
in Elda, 38km fromAlicante,” she says.
Although she’s only 25, Elena has already designed
two collections for trendy fashion company Brako (
brako.
com
). The first, calledGold Button, is exclusive to Belgium.
However, she has no plans tomove to Brussels. “Alicante’s
the city with themost light in Europe,” she says, “and the
sunshine always makes you feel good.”
MUÑOZ ON SHOPPING
◆
Solo (
25 Calle Gerona;
soloalicante.es
) “Their clothes
are sporty, but smart and
stylish at the same time.”
◆
Outlet (
6 Calle San Ildefonso;
tel: +34 966 232963
) “They
have clothes from the best
designers and you can
find something special that’s
a real bargain.”
◆
La Casa de Lula (
11 Calle
Canalejas; tel: +34 966 306768
)
“This is a great place for
vintage women’s fashions that
are feminine and romantic.”
◆
Chie Mihara (
42 Avenida
Camilo Jose Cela, Elda;
tel: +34 965 390366,
chiemihara.com
) “Chie Mihara
is one of Elda’s most interesting
shoe designers and this shop
sells ex-sample models.”
◆
Audley (
6 Avenida Camilo
José Cela, Elda; audleyshoes.
com
) “They have things that
haven’t even been released
yet. It’s always worth
wandering down this street
if you’re a shoe addict.”
Right,
ElenaMuñoz;
above,
the ChieMihara shop
ALICANTE