ADARA LEIGH OF LONDON

“I wear flats most of the time,

but don’t let my clients know

that,” Meroe Bleasdille

embarrassingly admits. Evidently,

being the founder and creative

director of the British luxury shoe

and accessories brand, Adara Leigh

is no easy feat. After having a

successful career in the Public

Health sector for almost a decade,

one would wonder what would spur

such a transition?

“I started Adara Leigh mainly

because of two things. I was going to

many weddings at the time, looking

at the special occasion wear,

particularly within the West African

communities and I was in absolute

awe!”

This occasion

wear that she

makes

mention of

(picture left) is

a fabric known

as ‘ankara’ which combines vibrant

and colourful designs. MEROE POSES WITH HER DEBUT COLLECTION “DUCHESS OF EDEN,”

RELEASED DURING THE LATTER PART OF 2013.

“I LOVE COLOUR, PEOPLE LOVE COLOUR, COLOUR IS IN AND THAT’S WHAT I WANT MY

BRAND TO BE SYNONYMOUS WITH.”

BONFIRE IVY

£365

Adara Leigh A/W 2014

Collection

NAFISA CORAL £225

Adara Leigh A/W 2014 Collection

“I loved the fabrics and the colours and as someone that is of West Indian parentage,

I was completely fascinated by it all! I noticed that people were not applying it to

accessories so much then and that spurred my interest of getting into fashion. I wanted to

do something creative and fresh,” Meroe utters admiringly.

The company has legally been in operation for three years, but only started trading to the

public last year. The name “Adara Leigh of London,” exudes royalty and eloquence and it is

all that and more, whilst incorporating a fusion of African inspiration and influence along

with contemporary Britain. We question how such an exquisite name came into existence: “I

have always been jealous of my little sister’s name, Dara and it is Swahili for ‘the beautiful

one.’ Of course I didn’t want to inflate her ego even more by calling my brand her name.

Also, I went to a university in Manchester and “Leigh” is a town within the city. In my mind, I

don’t know about anyone else’s, the name translates to Beautiful Land,” says Meroe.

After recently launching its Autumn/Winter 2014 collection “Firefly,” it has greatly evolved

from its debut, “Dutchess of Eden” collection. The new collection sets out to change the

face of autumn and winter footwear with its daring, statement heels. “If you look at other

brands, because it is autumn/winter, by default you would expect to get something in black,

beige or neutral colours. However I still wanted to have that burst of colour on all the

accessories that we do, otherwise I would just be like everybody else!”

The collection incorporates a range of bold, vibrant colours,

making this collection truly one of a kind. “I wanted to focus

on things like the bonfires and the beautiful night life rather

than dwelling on the dullness of winter here in the UK.” This

evidently paid off as she uses exclusive prints with warm,

glow like colours such as orange to create an ideal shoe for

your upcoming festive celebrations.

DUCHESS COIN PURSE

GREEN

£30

Adara Leigh A/W 2014

Collection

“You have got to feel sophisticated but also confident whilst wearing my shoes or

accessories. I want it to exhibit your sexy, elegant but also cheeky side as well,

because you certainly are not going to feel like a shrinking violet wearing one of my shoes,”

she says confidently.

In this day and age, the fashionable shoes are generally the most excruciating to walk in and

innovation and design seem to outplay the most significant aspect being comfort. It is

seemingly difficult to have all three of these features in one shoe. “Comfort is a priority.

Combining innovation with comfort can be challenging at times. Now that we are

introducing lower heels and non-platform shoes, they are incredibly comfortable and you

can do back flips in them, if you fancy. Though I wouldn’t advise doing so!” She jokes.

Adara Leigh also offers a very distinct feature that sets it apart from

any brand of this type. They offer a bespoke service that allows the

customer to alter a particular accessory or shoe that appeals to them

within the collection. “If our customer would like a style in a

particular colour or material, we can take some of the elements that

they desire and make it into something they will love for years on

end. It has been made just for them and no one else in the world will

have anything like it!”

Having only been in operation for a year and nominated for two Drapers Footwear Awards

earlier this year, surely the only way is onwards and upwards. When asked about what she

hopes to achieve in 5 years’ time she says: “I hope to build my brand and awareness and

also increase the range of choice that we offer and diversify from shoes and smaller

accessories to larger accessories.” “It is going to be difficult and quite a journey but I would

love to have a more colourful Jimmy Choo in 10 years,” she smiles optimistically.

adaraleigh.co.uk

“I CALL THEM MY BABIES AND I WOULD DEFINITELY LIKE WOMEN TO FEEL THAT THEY ARE

WEARING THEIR BABIES TODAY!”

“INSPIRATION CAN COME FROM ABSOLUTELY ANYWHERE INCLUDING BUGS. I’M ALSO OBSESSED

WITH GEOMETRY AND I LOVE BUILDINGS. WHEN YOU LOOK AT MY COLLECTIONS THEY ALL HAVE

SOME LEVEL OF GEOMETRY IN THEM.”