Beliefs are not chosen we are born into them; hard work, good manners & the importance of family were instilled into Andrea from a young age. Failure was never seen as a negative but viewed as a “learning experience”.
Growing up in a loving & entrepreneurial family in Ontario Canada Andrea’s career in footwear began with a part-time job in a shoe store when she was 16. Completing her Graphic Design Program in Toronto, it was time to decide where to intern. In June 2009 aged only 20, she packed her bags and flew across the Atlantic to pursue her dreams and become a graphic designer in London, the capital city she had fallen in love with during a formative school trip.
It was during her early weeks in London that Andrea inspired by her new roommate, a Russian finance student designed her first shoe.
Her light bulb moment with the power of a shoe wasn’t quite a Cinderella fairy-tale but came in the form of a beautiful peep toe, t-bar strap tuxedo style court shoe with a red bow and white heel. Stepping out of Green Park Station the shoes were showered with compliments. It was a defining moment; great shoes gave you confidence, they transported you & your mood, it was the best feeling.
Six months later jobless and homeless Andrea found herself “auditioning” for a room in a seven-bed house based in South London. Bewildered yet successful, she moved in & accepted a job at Kurt Geiger. She embraced her role in learning everything she could, sales, stock control, running different stores. Most of all she saw first hand the importance of listening to the needs of your clients. In Andrea’s mind success in business is measured by your ability to deliver exactly what your customer wants.
Service satisfaction was at the heart of her next moves, she pursued job after job in a variety of industries developing her people, management & business skills. She was embracing life, lapping up new experiences, and enjoying being in the right place at the right time until 5th October 2013.
They say death can do two things to you. It can make you stronger or it can break you. Her uncle and father passed away on the same day both tragic & unexpected; it was the worst of her life. It stopped her in her tracks and made her revaluate. What were her real passions and life goals? The answer… Shoes.
For the past five years, she has completed workshops & courses at London College of Fashion and Prescott & Mackay, attended shoe events, fashion weeks and tradeshows. Eventually, she plucked up the courage to make her dreams a reality. She selected her four best sketches, went to a leather show and handpicked the materials she needed to make it happen.
Finding a manufacturer was trickier. Having flown to Portugal she drove from factory to factory. Being told the words “Do what has already been done and make it better” deflated her. But she was resolute, she had inherited her father’s stubborn streak, and with dad in her head, she finally found someone to make her designs.
So 10 years since her arrival in London, and we are so very excited to be able to share with you the first-ever Andrea Lorenzo 2019 collection; Steps to Porto, Vivid Composition, Wings of Prosperity and Floral Escape
It’s been quite an adventure but one we know both Andrea and her father should be very proud of. What’s more, this is only the beginning, we very much hope you’ll walk with us and share the exciting journey ahead…