Shoe line aims for a national footprint

Eda Rose is the brand creator, designer and managing director of shoe label ER Collection. She tells Margaret Harris that having small feet gave her the idea of creating her own line of fashionable shoes.

What do you do at work each day?

Each day, I spend time updating the social platforms for the ER Collection and packing and dropping off shoes for different magazines for photo shoots.

I look for new stockists to sell the ER Collection brand in. I am constantly looking for new inspiration for new shoe and bag styles to design through research, new ways to manufacture my shoes and new factories with which to work.

What drew you to this particular career?

I am shoe size two, which made it difficult for me to find fashionable, good-quality and comfortable heels that fit, so deciding to do something about this was the beginning of the ER Collection.

I have always been into fashion, trends and creating and finding new ways to accomplish my many crazy ideas. And, because of this, I decided to start my own business instead of trying to convince my former employers to attend to the niche market that I believed I had found.

What did you want to be when you were a child?

As a young girl, I wanted to perform, so I would sing and act at every opportunity. I guess this was because I have always been in love with movement and wanting to be heard, seen and felt. It made me feel alive. I am also an actress and have been involved with radio.

Why do you love what you do?

I am pursuing my ultimate dream to celebrate women and their elegance by designing and handcrafting exquisite shoes and handbags made from the highest-quality materials. I am working on building a brand that is something special and that is totally me - not many people can say that.

What do you find difficult about the work you do?

The fact that it is a new venture and I have never run a business before. This is my first business endeavour and, to be honest, it's tough. I have invested a lot - money, emotions, time and energy. I have put my life into getting this business going and the first years of a new business are often hard.

What qualifications do you have and how do they help you to do your job?

I have an honours degree in finance and accounting from London Metropolitan University. My qualification enables me to adequately manage my business from a financial and project management point of view, which is great.

What qualities do you need to do this job?

Tenacity, faith, patience, hard work and, most importantly, style. You have to understand fashion and people's buying habits.

Where do you see yourself and your business in five years' time?

I would like to see the ER Collection expand and have a national footprint, with the possibility of diversification from just shoes and bags to accessories and a lingerie line for ladies, and maybe also a men's shoe line.

Accessories would include items to match our shoes and bags, so our clients would not have to waste their time shopping around for a matching belt or neck piece, for example. They would have the comfort of finding the perfect accessories all under one roof.

What is the best career advice you have ever received and who gave it to you?

The best career advice I ever received was to respect the "five Ps: proper planning prevents poor performance". These were my father's wise words and I apply them to my business and life in general.

What are some of the challenges you have faced as an entrepreneur?

The first big challenge I experienced was customising my designs to suit the South African market. Followed by financial constraints, this limited my methods of marketing the most.

Another challenge I experienced was convincing boutiques to carry and believe in my shoes, especially those that had not sold shoes before.

Evolving my personal brand was also not easy, because most people identified Eda Rose with a radio personality and not a shoe designer. But I continue to love what I do, because making my own way gives me a sense of fulfilment.