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Spanish footwear brand Pretty Ballerinas may have an English name, but it is owned and run by the third generation of the Spanish footwear family Mascaró. However, there is an English connection: Úrsula Mascaró’s British husband David Bell set up an online shop selling the ballet flats in 2005 in a tribute to the shoe style that launched the family business back in 1918.

Five years later, the brand adored by celebrities and fashionistas has shops in New York, London, Madrid, Montreal and beyond. David Bell, the "father" of Mascaro’s rebellious, colourful and versatile offspring, tells us how Pretty Ballerinas came about.

Pretty Ballerinas started out on the Internet. That’s rather unusual in the Spanish market. Is the ballet flat the best kind of shoe to sell online?
We wanted to do something online and we knew that ballet pumps sell well both in Europe and Asia. The disadvantage was that selling at a distance could mean a lot of goods returned, because there’s no way to try the shoe on. With ballet pumps that’s not an issue, because Mascaró has moulds it has been using for more than 40 years. We also wanted a worldwide showcase to demonstrate our creative and commercial skills, and promote our 89-years of experience in the ballet pump business.

Today the brand has close ties with celebrities including Claudia Schiffer, Kylie Minogue, Lindsay Lohan, Lily Allen and even Princess Letizia. How did you go about reaching them?
We just launched the brand and they started buying the product. We have public relations agencies in every country to scan through paparazzi shots. That means we can keep a check on the famous feet in our shoes. It’s one thing for celebs to wear our shoes, but if we didn’t advertise the fact, nobody would ever find out.

Your designs have names like Audrey and Marilyn. How important is the film world for Pretty Ballerinas?
The 1960s, with Audrey Hepburn, was a golden age for ballet flats. So it seemed logical to link each shoe with a name from this glamorous world. But it was also a strategic decision with the end customer in mind. At the factory they all have a number, but that’s not very poetic. The idea is that if a size 6 Audrey is a good fit for you, you’ll be able to wear the rest of the Audrey collection too. For autumn/winter 2010/11, there’ll be a new mould we’ve called Grace, after Grace Kelly. It has a higher, wider toe with a bit of point. It’s been a real winner at trade fairs.