Stuart Weitzman shares success story at “3686 Conference”
“If you have a great idea - like a celebrity shoe company, give it legs," the designer said.
Stuart Weitzman is a one-of-a-kind shoe designer. His luxury, high-fashion brand stands out among celebrities, high-net-worth individuals, and shoe connoisseurs alike. Each aspect of his business has been carefully crafted, scaled, and on-brand. The now-retired celebrity shoe designer shared the secret to five decades of success in the footwear industry at the annual “3686 conference” in Nashville on Tuesday.
“I took a third of the money I saved to start a business. My target was always custom shoes for celebrities,” Weitzman said.
His childhood experiences working with his dad – who was also an entrepreneur, and learning patternmaking gave Weitzman the slight edge necessary to excel in an industry that was at the time lacking creative energy.
“These celebrities on the carpet didn’t have custom shoes to wear, many were re-wearing the same pair repeatedly. So, it was a good time to break in,” he said.
He studied his audience and began creating designs that appealed to their desires for luxury, custom, and well-crafted apparel. Once he finally got one celebrity to wear his shoes on the red carpet – it changed everything!
Over the years, Weitzman created custom shoes for the likes of Beyonce, Jennifer Anniston, Kate Moss, and Taylor Swift. The publicity from each celebrity photographed in the shoes propelled the brand forward in a new way.
Through many stories during his keynote presentation, it became apparent that the Stuart Weitzman brand’s rise to popularity can largely be attributed to the power of word of mouth and the psychological sway that celebrities have on the global population.
“Word of mouth and the unpaid advertising that came with having celebrities and influencers authentically promote our brand did so much more than advertisements ever could,” he said.
In conclusion, Weitzman shared that his brand, which is worth more than $6 billion all started from one idea.
“If you have a great idea – like a celebrity shoe company, give it legs,” he laughed.
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