ESSĒN, the debut label founded by Melbourne friends Prue Treweeke and Marre Muijs arose in the pursuit for the perfect pair of quality and classic footwear.
Co-founder Muijs spoke exclusively with Ragtrader to explain the history of the brand and how it looks to tap into a different footwear consumer.
Spying a gap in the market, the aim was ‘to make timeless, sophisticated shoes that are accessible for all.
Our design philosophy is to magnify what is essential and edit out excess. That’s where the name ESSĒN stems from, essentials. We encourage our customers to buy less, by buying better.
The fashion industry has been oversaturated with disposable and poorly constructed product for far too long; ESSĒN was founded as a response’.
We aspired to create a brand that would uphold a more conscious pace and process, where purchases became more considered and where things are made with genuine care and detail.
The goal is to create staple pieces, timeless shoes for any occasion. We’ve always thought great shoes are an investment, so for ESSĒN we combine the classic with the contemporary with the hope of creating timeless shoes you’ll want to wear for years to come.
We wanted to rethink the traditional retail model by delivering premium products directly to the customer; to keep prices low, but also to get constant feedback for a better informed design process.’
Moving away from traditional seasons and not being focused on the fashion calendar, allows us to take the time and utmost care when designing the form and fit of our shoes to ensure lasting appeal.
Our offering is available exclusively online because we wanted to do it right, we’ve started small.
Designed in Melbourne and handmade in Italy and Portugal, all the styles are limited releases and created in small production runs to ensure the highest level of detail and craftsmanship is achieved.
Working with local family-run factories that have been making shoes for generations, each pair is made with the utmost of care and respect for the art.
They are responsible for the construction of every pair we make. From the leather selection, the engineering of the lasts and the hand finishing of the shoes; our entire range is handmade by people who care about every single pair produced.
It’s why we love what we do, the craftsmanship is unparalleled and we’ve become friends with everyone involved; we’ve sat at kitchen tables with our suppliers’ families, shared wine and humbly taken on their advice of how to best go about things.
With a tightly edited and conscious release of limited edition styles the idea is to move away from the instant gratification culture and to feel more gratified long term.
Most pieces are purposely trans-seasonal with more releases to come, allowing for a gradual assemblage of the ideal range of year-round essentials.