A woman needs only 8 pairs of shoes

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From her own ethical experience to the sustainable production

"A woman needs only eight pairs of shoes!" says Rey Abadi. The creator of the 8 Essential Pairs is not just an ordinary designer but a cultural communication consultant who explores female habits with a sustainable attitude.

Rey launched her brand ReyRey during the recent Copenhagen Fashion Week in August where she presents only eight pairs that she considers necessary. Rey's intention to design only eight pairs comes form her own experience of cherishing her own items and reducing unnecessary consumption. Before she started designing her collection, first of all, she gave away more than 200 pairs of her shoes to a charity organisation and decided to keep only what she needs every day. As she considers the choices we make have a considerable impact on our sustainable future when shopping for anything new, she tries to reduce waste as much as possible and replaces her shoes only when they are worn out.

8 comfortable essential pairs

Eventually Rey came up with a collection of eight comfortable pairs: The Wedge, The Pump, The Sandal, The flat, The Moccasin, The Stiletto, The Boots and The Joker.

The collection consists of what she considers essential in almost every female closet: the elegant Flat for a long day on foot or for the office, the sporty Moccasin, the simple light Boots for subtropical and temperate climate, the Wedge, the Pump, the Stiletto and the Sandal are available either for an office day or a night out. The Joker is the only pair of those that follows a seasonal trend. It is a wild card that gives an extra kick to an outfit, even though the pair seems to have a timeless design. Rey has worked intensively with her production team in Italy to make a sole that gives maximum comfort. As a result, she knows that a heel should be no more than four-inches tall in order to walk effortlessly all day.

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Attitude change

It is certainly a tough business. As we live in an era of selfies and Instagram, many young consumers want to look different every day, and it becomes their habit of housing on the quantity rather than the quality of outfits. In order to keep up with their attitude, fast-fashion retailers make their clothing more cheaply available than ever. Consequently, each production cycle has become shorter and shorter. Simply, more demand, the faster production, therefore more waste. Are there more ethical ways to be stylish without the shopping urge? How does ReyRey respond to the vanity of women who want to follow the latest trend and always look fashionable?

ReyRey proposes simply a new way of choosing shoes, buying less and using them more carefully. If every woman takes a good look at her shoe cabinet and donates what has not been used for the past six months, most likely she would not miss them. 

The Copenhagen-based designer, therefore, comes up with a limited amount of shoes and spends more time in production. Making only eight pairs available every six months to her target customers, if they are conscious of the sustainable industry, she believes they will understand her attitude. ReyRey is looking for customers who are aware of their purchases and take care of what they have bought. 

“I know I'm ahead of my time with my philosophy, the industry will change. I cannot say when, but it will change."                                                                                            

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