Innovating Without Constraints

The ardent energy of the Latin culture reflected in glamorous, edgy, and refined designs identifies Daniela Uribe’s signature style. Daniela has made a name for herself by defying traditional beauty standards, dating back to when she was a young girl.

She challenged dress codes when she designed her quinceanera dress and left her homeland of Colombia to take on the world of European fashion. She has lived in Paris and London where she successfully graduated from the prestigious Cordwainers London College of Fashion (LCF) with 1st honors in Footwear Design and Development.

It was at LCF where Daniela won a design project competition for Ted Baker London. That’s where Daniela’s dreams started to take shape, creating her path to becoming a leading globally acknowledged designer. Her passion and obsession with shoes led her to obtain design experience at Diane von Furstenberg, the brand's footwear license partner Caleres, Paul Andrew, Jimmy Choo, and Ross Stores where she worked as a buyer.

Living and working in two of the biggest fashion capitals, London and New York, opened Daniela’s eyes to the competitive world of fashion which only made her more determined to follow her dream to create a gender-inclusive luxury footwear brand, that is purpose-driven and reflective of her distinctive style along with her electrifying personality.

1. Tell us about yourself. When did you first know you were interested in the fashion/ footwear industry?

Fashion is something I always loved since a very young age. When I was a little girl and my friends wanted to play house, I would pretend to be a famous designer. However, it was not until I did my foundation year at the London College of Fashion that I decided to focus on footwear. I always loved shoes, but I was never fully aware there was a bachelor’s degree just for Footwear Design. It was when I went to the London College of Fashion that I saw it was a possibility and immediately fell in love with it.

2. How do you / your team generate new ideas?

My ideas come from everyday life situations, reading and keeping up with new technologies and things happening in the fashion, art, technology, music, and entertainment industries. I read and keep up with multiple fashion newsletters and books. I am also someone that loves to connect with people and attend industry events and gatherings. I enjoy connecting and learning from different people. It inspires me and brings new ideas. The core of the brand is inclusivity and learning to embrace our differences. I find that meeting new people is very inspiring, especially people that are very different from me.

2. Do you have any specific rituals for resetting creativity?

I do not have any special rituals but if I am ever stuck creatively, I either look for interesting things to read or find events and experiences to attend that help drive my creativity forward.

3. How do you identify trends? What resources does you use to spot trends and consumer 2. insights within your industry?

I identify trends in many ways. I like to go to different shopping venues and observe people and what they purchase. I observe a lot everywhere I go to see what people wear. Instagram and TikTok are also good platforms to see what trends are rising. Moreover, I read fashion magazines and research online on platforms like WGSN. I also attend trade shows like MICAM and Lineapelle where you learn about the next emerging trends. However, once I research, I like to focus on my take on the trends. I do not follow all of them because I like to believe in my particular style and translation of different designs.

4. What is the biggest challenge you face when innovating within your field?

I would say the biggest challenge for me (and other brands I am sure) is not having the budget to pursue innovative ideas. There are a lot of things I would like to do and be innovative with, but if it is not within budget, or there is no cash flow, it can be hard to take on all the innovative ideas I would like to. However, I always prioritize ideas that speak to my brand the most. I also look for creative ways to approach my ideas and make them happen even if the budget is limited.

5. Has there ever been an instance where another industry has influenced your work?

Yes totally. I do think it's important to look at other industries and learn from them. I live in Miami where the art industry is prominent. I absolutely love it because I take a lot of inspiration from both physical art and digital art. The music industry is another one I always look at and that influences some of my work. However, my favorites right now are the gaming industry, crypto, and the metaverse. I have learned so much about them and become very passionate about them as well.

7. What makes an innovative work culture? How do you create a culture of innovation?

I think the first step towards an innovative work culture is hiring and working with open-minded people. I also think that having an open mind includes removing stereotypes and judgments from your mindset, while staying curious about the unknown. I think it's a common reaction of most people to reject or judge what is unknown to them or doesn’t follow the traditional system. But to me, it's important not to do that but to instead be excited and curious to learn from new unknown things happening around us. I also think it's important to understand that as much as data and analyzing past projects or reports are helpful to planning the next steps, it's also limiting. I encourage people to learn to look forward to the future and experiment with new things, not just with the things that data already tells you have been successful.

8. Looking to the future, how will your brand continue to be a leader in innovation?

I like to think of my brand as an early adopter. I want Daniela Uribe, the brand, to be an early adopter of new things happening and not just in the fashion industry. I am not scared to try and experiment with new ideas, new technologies, and ways of working. The next thing the brand is looking to be part of is the Metaverse and creating new experiences in that space. I want to be inspired and keep inspiring inside that space while focusing on our inclusive and powerful message through our footwear. So stay tuned for new things coming.