Photographer: Shana Jade Trajanoska
Description: XXX
The architect-turned-CEO of Manolo Blahnik shares how she’s helped to redefine her family’s luxury shoe empire—and why her uncle’s perpetual passion for learning has been key to its success.
“I’ve always been particular about my brows—even on shoots with incredible make-up artists, I’d insist on doing my own.”
Description: XXX
Description: XXX
SHARE THIS STORY
On Thoughtful Design, Integrity, and Honouring the Small Wins
SHARE THIS STORY
I originally studied engineering and worked in that industry for three years, so I launched my business later on in life. At 26, I left my job in France and came to London to study jewellery design. That was almost 10 years ago. I basically used my studies to start working on my business plan. Every time I had a school project, I would design pieces that would be part of my future collection. But I didn’t have a lot of experience in business; I had no idea what a small business was, how to hire, or how to be a manager. I had no connections whatsoever in London – nor in fashion or design.
“Of course, I’m very grateful for the successes we have achieved, and yes, we can celebrate these milestones. But I’m always cautious – I never believe I have ‘arrived’. To me, one day you’re in and the next you could be out. You can’t rest on your laurels.”
“I say ‘work in progress’ a lot or ‘this too shall pass’. Also: ‘don’t forget to have fun’.”
What is your mantra?
“In the beginning, the biggest challenge was
doing everything with a small team, but I truly believe it’s important to be hands-on to understand what your business really needs”
“When we got our first negative TikTok review, I panicked. I thought we’d ruined everything. But it turned into one of my biggest lessons.”
“A very old Hermès trench, which I got when I worked at the [brand’s] sample sale in the ’90s, plus a McQueen embroidered cape.”
What is your most treasured fashion item?
£1435
SHOP NOW
£1290
SHOP NOW
£1890
SHOP NOW
£1490
SHOP NOW
£1550
Tondo Chain Crossbody
SHOP NOW
£1020
SHOP NOW
My background is in design, so that’s where I began. In 2019, I started developing the bags without a concrete idea of where they might lead. I took my time—sketching, refining, and wear-testing each style until it felt resolved. Then the pandemic hit, and it suddenly seemed counterintuitive to launch a brand centred around objects meant to be worn outside the home. So, I put the project on pause.
During that time, I began showing samples to friends, and I couldn’t ignore the organic, genuinely enthusiastic response. People were excited—that stayed with me.
A few months into quarantine, I sensed a shift. Women were craving pieces to covet, even if they weren’t wearing them yet, while also becoming more intentional about how they spent. There was a clear move toward investment pieces—vintage bags, secondhand luxury—rather than trend-driven styles. Savette felt aligned with that new mindset, and I decided to take the leap.
My vision has always been to draw from heritage craftsmanship and infuse it with modern design. Savette pieces are minimal, clean and thoughtfully made from high-quality materials, but they’re never anonymous. Our signature metal hardware—a subtle, recognisable detail—sits on every bag. The designs aren’t trend-led; they’re intended to be worn for years. Every piece starts with pared-back geometry: parallel and perpendicular lines, organic curves, harmony and symmetry. As the brand evolved, I’ve also begun asking different questions: What gaps exist in our offering? What do our customers need in their lives and closets?
“I started posting on Instagram at a very good time. It was very early on. I would just put outfits together, and my mum would take pictures of me in the kitchen. At the beginning, I was just sharing to friends and family, but over time my following grew. It was a lot easier back then. As my following grew, so too did the opportunities, and I started working with brands, which is how I met Jenna [Meek, Jess’s co-founder].
“I’ve always been particular about my brows—to the point where, even on shoots with incredible make-up artists, I’d insist on doing my own. I was actually on one yesterday and said, ‘I’ll do my own brows.’ Back then, I’d use two gels and three brushes just to get them how I liked — I thought that was normal. Jenna saw what I was doing and asked why I was using so many different products.
“I talked her through each step, and her entrepreneurial brain immediately lit up. She said, ‘I think there’s something here.’ We met for lunch and sketched out designs for a dream product — one that featured three brushes to create my everyday sculpted look and hold it in place all day.
“Months later, Jenna called and said, ‘I’ve spoken to a lab — they think they can make it. Would you want to start a business together?’ Naively, I said yes, with no experience in make-up or business. I wish I still had some of that fearless energy, because as the brand grows, the stakes get higher, and I’ve become more cautious. I love where we are today, but nothing beats the magic of the beginning.
“Back then, I’d use two gels and three brushes just to get them how I liked — I thought that was normal.”
“I had no idea the process would take two years. Our prototype was a world-first, so there was a lot of back and forth. We eventually launched in November 2020 — a strange time, right in the middle of lockdowns. But with everyone on their phones, it actually worked in our favour. I launched Brow Sculpt on my channel with a simple video of me applying it and saying, ‘We have this brow product — hope you love it.’ That clip went semi-viral because of the instant wow factor.
“The lab required a large initial order since it was a new product. We forecasted that the stock would last nine months — it sold out in six weeks. We were out of stock for three months, which wasn’t ideal, but it showed there was a gap for a brand that simplified beauty with innovative, time-saving products that did the hard work for you.
“I’m not a make-up artist — I’m just a girl who loves make-up and wants to create beautiful looks in under 20 minutes. From then on, we kept asking, ‘What else needs simplifying in our routine?’ That question still drives everything we do.
“We forecasted that the stock would last nine months — it sold out in six weeks.”
We try to be sincere and authentic in everything we do. We sometimes say that we are creating objects that are right in every sense of the word—the right proportions, the right level of practicality, and the right balance between the quality and the price. You have to have respect for the customer, and we’ve kept our prices quite consistent all these years. I don’t agree with the mentality of selling super expensive products just for the sake of it, and you don’t care because you know that someone will be ready to pay for it. When you do that, they probably won’t come back. You need to keep that link with the customer; that’s what builds a future.
The one thing I would never compromise on in business? Passion. It’s so important to have passion, and to transmit that to all the people around us. I think that only when you really do things with passion, that you can do them well.
What I’m proudest of is the fact that we have been able to evolve. In nearly 80 years, we have gone from being a tobacco store to a lifestyle brand with a presence all around the world. We didn’t do it in one dramatic revolutionary way—we did it with consistency. We have always evolved, we have always innovated, created, re-imagined. But we have also maintained strong roots and strong pillars, like our Le Pliage and Le Roseau designs. Those two bags are more than 30 years old, and to see women today still wanting them and wearing them is something I’m very proud of. We’ve managed to succeed in keeping them desirable all this time, which is not something that many brands have been able to do.
Success isn’t really what I’m looking for—it’s to feel that I have done my best. To know that I have achieved something in a good way, in the best way I could. And sometimes, of course, it doesn’t work, but I can still feel proud of it, and how I overcame difficulties or tried something different and innovative. We must always learn from our mistakes.
A special moment I will always remember was our collaboration collection with Tracey Emin. It was the first one I ever did, and it was to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Le Pliage in 2004. Collaborations were not so common then, few people were doing them—especially one that was so purely artistic. To meet her, to work with her, was incredible, and I think the result perfectly captured Tracey’s spirit, and Longchamp’s spirit too. It was really the beginning of a new page for the brand.
“When we got our first negative TikTok review two years in, I panicked. I thought we’d ruined everything and relied too much on social media. But it turned into one of my biggest lessons—we needed to be clearer about who each product is for. Instead of saying, ‘Everyone will love it,’ we started saying, ‘Don’t buy this if you’re not after that specific look.’
“Our community is our biggest strength. It’s at the core of everything we do. We started out wanting to simplify beauty, but now it’s evolved—I’m often the second person to know what’s launching next because it all comes from our community. They influence everything, from product development to shades. We regularly email our database asking questions like, ‘What do you want to see next?’ or ‘Should the next mascara be blue or brown?’
“We’re so fortunate to have such a close relationship with them. They’re who our products are made for. Some of our biggest viral moments have come from everyday customers, not influencers. One girl in America filmed herself applying Lash Sculpt from Sephora in her bedroom—that video now has over 100 million views. It sold out across Sephora US. You can’t buy that kind of exposure—it’s pure community power.
“I design Savette to be timeless and functional, so women don’t feel compelled to buy into constant newness.”
In an era defined by speed and saturation, Amy Zurek is building something deliberately slower. The former designer at The Row and Khaite is the founder of Savette, a luxury accessories brand grounded in restraint, precision and enduring value. At a time when ‘quiet luxury’ has become an overused shorthand, Zurek’s work offers a more meaningful interpretation: thoughtful design, heritage craftsmanship
and pieces intended to last a lifetime—not just for a season. In our latest
Women Who Win, Zurek speaks to Sofia Piza about trusting intuition, resisting compromise and learning to honour progress in its smallest, most human forms.
“Our Le Pliage and
Le Roseau bags are more than 30 years old, so to see women today still wanting them and wearing them is something I’m very proud of.”
Symmetry Mini Bag
Symmetry Pochette
Florence Shoulder Bag
Symmetry Pochette
Florence Hobo Bag
“I think longevity comes from being really clear on who you are, what you’re doing and who you want to be, both in terms of product and people.”
Manolo Blahnik’s brilliance is that it is unconstrained. Every season, the collection will take you by surprise. Yes, we have our classic styles that have captured people’s imaginations on a very large scale, like the ‘Hangisi’ buckled pump or the ‘Maysale’, which is your perfect 360 shoe in my opinion. But I think what differentiates us is that there is such a wide selection, and everything stems from deep cultural references and historical understanding that my uncle has spent his entire life learning, studying and consuming. Each collection is a visual feast. Even if you’re only going in to buy the simple ‘BB’ pump, you will always have something to look at, that will inspire you to think and make you curious to try it on.
We don’t follow fashion, we just do our own thing. We’re not beholden to an Excel spreadsheet telling us what has to be made. Manolo is never told to do this, that or the other, or to follow certain trends or movements. It’s wholly unboundaried; an infinite world of surprise. No collection is ever going to be obvious, so that element of magic and surprise is consistent, and that has meant we’ve maintained our community. When someone connects with us, they will continue being connected. It’s not something that fades over time because there’s always something to excite.
Speaking of surprises… We recently launched a Marie Antoinette capsule collection. It’s to celebrate the incredible exhibition that’s currently on at the Victoria & Albert museum [in London], which we immediately threw ourselves at to sponsor. It was one of those magical, very rare moments where all the stars align and we knew that Manolo just had to be part of it. Marie Antoinette is one of the icons of his life; [someone] he’s always been drawn to, so to get as close to her as he did through this process was so important to us. This little capsule collection he’s designed is very much with her in mind, but as if she was alive today.
I currently own about 150 pairs of Manolo Blahnik shoes, but of course I’d like them all! My most treasured are a pair of gold leather sandals from 1976 that I asked to keep when I spent three months in Bath photographing all of the shoes for our archives. I never wear them – they’re more of a collector’s piece, something really special that I own from the archives. Another treasured possession is my collection of ‘Maysales’: I have about 12 colours and I love laying them all out in a spectrum. Looking at them all together makes me smile – it’s like being in a candy store. Some of my shoes are not in such pristine condition, of course, but that’s only because they’ve had a lot of fun and been on many outings. They’ve danced, they’ve walked, they’ve run, they’ve battled the weather, but I look at them and they bring back all those wonderful memories, so I’ll never get rid of them.
Amy Zurek
“I think longevity comes from being really clear on who you are, what you’re doing and who you want to be, both in terms of product and people.”
Early on, I believed I needed to handle every detail myself. Building the brand pushed me far outside my comfort zone, and I eventually realised how much easier—and stronger—the business would have been if I’d allowed myself to lean on others sooner.
I wish women felt less pressure to chase every trend. Instead, I’d wish they would recognise how empowering it is to invest in fewer, better pieces that are made to last. Savette is designed to be timeless and functional, so women don’t feel compelled to buy into constant newness.
As the mother of a toddler, work-life balance is something I navigate daily. I love what I do, and for this chapter of life, I’ve accepted having a little less personal time.
Honouring small wins—not just the big ones—has been essential for me. I still remember the moment our first home objects sample came back exactly as Alyssa Kapito and I had envisioned. Learning to acknowledge those moments has changed how I experience building a brand and keeps me motivated.
One of my proudest moments was seeing customers truly cherish the pieces—using them as they’re meant to be used. Building a small brand with handcrafted production outside Florence is a milestone I’m deeply proud of.
Honour the slow work. Whether it’s a sketch, a prototype, or a decision, I try to choose quality over speed every time.
“It’s not just about making beautiful objects: it’s about creating something meaningful, ethical and lasting”
“What matters most to me is that customers return—not because they’re chasing a moment, but because they truly love the bags.”
It’s been surreal—and an honour—to see our bags worn by women like Lady Gaga. But what matters most to me is that customers return to Savette. Influential women such as Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Katie Holmes and Karlie Kloss have been consistent supporters, and that means everything. It tells me they’re choosing the bags because they truly love them—not because they’re chasing a moment.
A new-season favourite is the Symmetry Pochette in black eel-skin leather. It will be exclusively available on our website. The texture adds depth and dimension, and makes the bag even more luxurious.
The integrity of our products is something I’d never compromise on. If a piece needs to meet a specific price point, we make intentional decisions—never forced compromises.
Starting Savette was the bravest—and most challenging—thing I’ve ever done. My experience was rooted in design, but building a brand demands far more than that, and stepping beyond what I knew felt deeply uncomfortable at first. I’m naturally quiet and somewhat risk-averse, so putting my work into the world required a leap of faith.