Spanish Shoe Brand Flabelus Lands on its Feet in New York City
Founded by Beatriz de los Mozos in Madrid in 2020, Flabelus has expanded into the US market with the launch of their F/W 23-24 collection of shoes, resortwear, and jewelry. Flabelus recently hosted a cocktail party to celebrate with friends of the brand, including Agua Mágica, at La Rubia in New York City.
“The name Flabelus is my personal definition for friendship. In September 2019 when I first began thinking about creating slippers, I shared the idea with my two favourite people: Flami and Lu. Flami combined the first syllables of our three names and suddenly Flabelus was born. This special name keeps me strong because it reminds me that I am never alone; it signifies the beautiful thing that is friendship.”
Incorporating the best of Spain and Italy, Flabelus incorporates the handstitched sole of a traditional Spanish espadrille with the aesthetic of a Venetian Friulane slipper, updated to the modern day with unique and vibrant colors, prints, and patterns. Handmade in Spain by women, using centenarian techniques, Flabelus produces the highest quality shoes whilst preserving resources for future generations by using organic recycled materials. The products are crafted by dedicated local artisans who follow traditional processes, such as the manual sewing of the shoe, passed down from generation to generation. Flabelus slippers' inner sole and inner shoe are composed of 70% bamboo and 30% recycled polybular polyester, and the outer sole is made with recycled rubber that is carefully stitched together by hand. The packaging is both 100% recycled and recyclable.
Flabelus is a magical world full of literary characters in the form of shoes. Each shoe style is inspired by a character and has a story, and the designs offer lively combinations of colors, materials, and shapes beyond the traditional, to inspire all tastes, all ages, and worn through all seasons. “It is not by chance that all my slippers share their names with the great literary figures who represent my brave women; the women who create adventure in the worst situations. I am inspired by the Bronté sisters who describe the incredibly free and willful women whom they met in their imaginations, or Louisa May Alcott’s fiercely independent character Jo in ‘Little Women.’ I have grown up with these women as my examples and I have the luck of counting some exceptional women as sisters, mother and friends whose collective strength inspire me every day. My cause is to support other women like me, those who want to create and illuminate the world with their own light. I find the most wonderful projects are those created by women who have decided to share their nature of loving without measure.” – Beatriz de los Mozos
Flabelus currently has a boutique in Madrid, stay tuned for future locations in London, NYC, Miami, and beyond!