Shoe show draws inspiration from Silk Road

The ancient Silk Road has inspired all kinds of art. Chinese luxury footwear brand Sheme recently presented a collection of women's shoes inspired by it, paying tribute to Chinese traditional culture.

The collection shown at Beijing Exhibition Center featured dozens of footwear that represent the 56 ethnic groups in China.

It highlighted three conceptual works that reflected the culture, landscape, handcraft and totems of the cities and countries along the Silk Road.

Transforming itself from a manufacturer of international luxury brands to an original brand, Sheme is keen to combine Chinese aesthetics and Italian techniques, says Liu Qiongying, founder and chairwoman of the brand.

The opening of the exhibition was followed by a runway show Fashion Beijing that featured Sheme's shoes paired with Chinese couture brands like Laurence Xu.

Sheme is best known for its use of silk and embroidery, which is sometimes combined with crystals and leather for a more glamorous look.

"Compared with leather, silk offers more possibilities in delicacy, colors and craftsmanship," Liu says.

The project started early this year.

Liu has traveled to places including Sichuan province's Qionglai, Ya'an, Xichang, and Yunnan province's Kunming and Dali, as well as Myanmar and India. The trip exposed numerous handcrafts to Liu that she was not aware of.

"Those craftsmen have spent their lives weaving and embroidering and I want to share their work with a wider audience," she says.

Liu, who is petite, recalls that when she went to a party 30 years ago, she felt discouraged because she didn't have comfortable, pretty heels to wear.

Now she likes to wear platforms heels as high as 15 centimeters. She gets special shoes made for each outfit. And she says she wants to share the joy and confidence of wearing the right shoes with more women.

She started with a small workshop and later founded her own high-end brand. Sheme is one of the few Chinese luxury shoe brands that prices its products on par with its Western counterparts. A pair of pumps starts at more than 3,000 yuan ($469).

Liu invited Gianluigi Colombo, an Italian shoe veteran who worked for Chanel and Bally, to direct her operations.

The brand opened its first store in Chengdu in 2008 and later expanded to Shanghai's Bund and Beijing.

Now the brand has a best-selling array of designs that is influenced by Chinese motifs like peony and the frog button.

The generation born after the 1980s attaches more importance to design, craftsmanship and comfort than the big logos, which is giving rise to brands like Sheme, Liu says.

The brand offers a made-to-order service to about 5,000 VIP clients, many of whom are successful businesswomen like Liu.

In 2011, Sheme made shoes for Cherie Blair, former British first lady, during her trip to Chengdu.

The collection exhibited in Beijing was shown in Chengdu in September and Shanghai in October. It was also shown at the China Pavilion at the Milan Expo.