Gwendolyn Carrié began her career as a shoe designer after 13 years as a successful investment banker during which she rose to the position of Director at Merrill Lynch, serving as a senior advisor to some of Europe's largest retail and luxury goods companies. With the premature arrival of healthy twin girls, Gwendolyn realized it was time to steer away from logical next steps and pursue a long-time dream to become a luxury shoe designer.
With her in-depth knowledge of the luxury leather goods market, she found a common thread between banking and design: the importance of details and experience. Primarily self-taught, she attended evening pattern-cutting classes at Cordwainers and carried out pattern-cutting, stitching and shoe-making internships at various shoe factories to obtain valuable know-how.
Thus, she dived into the world of fashion as a luxury shoe designer. 2005 saw the launch of the Gwendolyn Carrié label. Three years on, in the autumn of 2008, the first Gwendolyn Carrié boutique opened in London's exclusive Belgravia, just off Sloane Street, SW1.
Key to Gwendolyn Carrié's design philosophy is that comfort need not compromise elegance. During her time at the bank, Gwendolyn noticed a gap in the market for stylish and wearable shoes that would take her from the office and out to town. Frustrated by the lack of wearable choices offered to real women, Gwendolyn sought to design shoes that combined timeless beauty with functionality so that women could be confident in their heels.