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Not only celebrities have Chie Mihara shoes. Even Harry Potter witches can be found wearing them. Fashionfromspain.com went to Barcelona to speak to the brand’s founder and creative talent.

Do you consider yourself and your brand Spanish, Brazilian or Japanese?
I was born and bred in Porto Alegre in Brazil, though my family is of Japanese origin. I went to Japan to study fashion design at the age of 18 and worked with a leading haute couture designer who is always right on the cutting edge. Then I then five years studying accessories design at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in New York. Afterwards, I came to Spain and worked for two years with French shoe company Charles Jourdan which makes its collections here.

Why Spain?
When I left the US, I was looking for a country where I could make shoes and Spain or Italy were the only options because I had my heart set on Europe. I managed to find some very good contacts in Spain. It was only afterwards I discovered what a wonderful place it is to live. What’s more, I live in a village – in Elda in Alicante – whereas before I’d only lived in Tokyo and New York. I’m married to a Spaniard and I have three children so now I really can say I’m settled here.

Which of the three cultures do you draw most on?
I think the femininity and sensuality is Brazilian, whereas the simplicity and ability to look at things from a new angle is from Japan. My pragmatic “just do it” approach is very American, but the naturalness is all Spanish. My shoes always have an element of craftsmanship, despite the industrial manufacturing process, because shoes can’t be 100% handmade in modern-day Spain.

When did you design your first shoe?
It was at FIT, where they’ve trained designers including Calvin Klein and Anna Sui. They were platforms with very high heels. When I took the last out to put the shoe on, the heel went one way and the platform the other. That was quite a learning experience. You think you know how to make a shoe, but it turns out not to be quite so easy.

Why footwear? Was it a family tradition?
None of my family has anything to do with footwear. I’ve always liked fashion, but when I worked in the sector in Japan, I became disillusioned because it’s a very tough industry. When I went to the States, I studied sculpture for six months, but there came a time when I just felt I needed fashion. How could I combine the two? I reached the conclusion that making shoes would be one way to do just that. And FIT was right there in New York, so I trained to make all kinds of accessories, not just shoes.

“We export 90% of our output, mainly to the US”

When did Chie Mihara become a brand?
I created it in Elda, Alicante, five years ago and it grew almost overnight. By our third season, we had already become known abroad and it all happened very fast. Now there are 12 of us. My husband and I created the firm between us. He makes the soles, because in footwear, every component has its own industry. His older brother has a footwear factory he inherited from his father which has been producing footwear for Charles Jourdan for more than 30 years. It has a long tradition behind it and excellent standards. We are now making more than 100,000 pairs a year, having started out with just a thousand. That’s not bad in five years. We came into profit in the third season.

What percentage is exported?
Ninety; mainly to the US, Germany, France and Belgium - we sell a lot in Belgium.

What is your best selling design?
They are usually the designs that don’t say a great deal to me personally such as the Bigas strappy sandal which has featured a lot in the press and has been copied by other firms.

Do you have a design team or is it all down to you?
The designs are totally mine. What’s more, until the shoe or bag is completely finished, I don’t ask for anyone’s opinion, not even my husband’s!