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14/08/2007

Constança Basto: passion and art in shoe making

Constança Basto, one of the new talents in the craft of making shoes in Brazil, and also one of the most acknowledged designers, speaks to Portal da Couromoda about her career, her company and the launching of the Basto brand men’s shoes.

Couromoda: How did your passion for shoes materialize, as you started to create at the age of 15?
Constança Basto: I have also been passionately in love with shoes, since I was a little girl I started to produce some shoes for my own use at my mother’s cobbler (you know, the old style in the suburbs). My friends loved them, but it was only much later that I started to produce footwear as a business.

CM: What is mandatory in a pair of shoes?
CB: Design, comfort, quality and elegance.

CM: Where do you seek inspiration for your creations?
CB: Anywhere, any place, it could be a film, a subject that was chosen, a specific need, a desire.

CM: To how many countries are you currently exporting?
CB: Our target is in the United States, but we have some clients in Japan, Korea and Europe.

CM: what does the foreign market represent in your sales?
CB: Currently, with the expansion of franchises + dollar dropping, it reaches 20% of my sales.

CM: Why did you launch a men’s footwear brand?
CB: Our female clients wanted to buy shoes for their husbands, and were searching for new consumption options. Launching a new label, taking advantage of the branding created was a natural way to go after. What we were really looking for was to turn our operation profitable with concept and products that add value to the brand. Basto is already producing more business and synergy to the group.

CM: What are your new plans?
CB: We are planning to have 100 stores of the chain in the domestic market, adding our three operations, Constança Basto, Peach by Constança Basto and Basto and another 200 sales points in boutiques, shoe-shops and multi brand stores.


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