Adriana Epelboim Levy founded the shoe brand Alepel, drawing from her background in architecture. [1] For her spring 2016 collection, she features laser-cut materials and bold design elements like cutouts and colorful lines that define the geometric styling. [2] Produced in Brazil, Alepel shoes retail for under $400 and are sold in boutiques in Florida with plans for international expansion. [3] As a new designer, Levy is learning various techniques through programs and collaborating with other designers to develop her brand.

1. PHOTOS:ALEPEL:COURTESYOFBRAND;DELL’ACQUA,WHITEMULE:COURTESYOFBRAND;RONNYMULE:COURTESYOFINSTAGRAM
Architect Adriana Epelboim Levy is learning
the geometry of the shoe business.
By Kristen Henning
RightAngles
he Alepel brand is out to
prove that sculptural shoes
can be wearable, too.
Founder and designer
Adriana Epelboim Levy, who
trained in architecture at Pratt Institute in
Brooklyn, N.Y., has crafted her line around
geometric designs. “I’m thinking of the
consumer and her comfort. The archi-
tecture [looks] are accessible,” said Levy,
whose label debuted for fall ’14. “The styles
are still unique and beautiful. I’m very
passionate about this.”
For spring ’16, the line features laser-cut
materials with cutout details, embossed
leather and metallic colorings such as rose
gold. Plus, every shoe includes a signature
line across the back in a variety of bold
colors like yellow and red. “These features
define the geometry of the shoe,” said Levy.
All styles are priced under $400.
The Alepel collection is produced in Bra-
zil (coincidentally, at the same factory that
makes Sophia Webster). Levy said that as a
newcomer to the business, she has
a handful of designers she admires —
Webster among them. “I’m an architect,
so I like things that are very clean. Chanel
has always inspired me,” Levy said. “I also
admire Rem D. Koolhaas at United Nude
and what he’s doing with 3-D printing.”
Currently, Alepel sells at independent
boutiques in Levy’s home base of Florida,
with international expansion on the
horizon across South America.
She has also done several unique col-
laborations. Last year, Levy partnered with
artist Carlos Cruz-Diez at Art Basel, and
she teamed with Oscar Carvallo and archi-
tect Pancho Quilici for Carvallo’s runway
show during Paris Haute Couture Week.
As a young designer, Levy is eager to
learn as much as possible. She recently
participated in an Ars Sutoria program in
New York for newcomers to learn various
techniques. “We’re exploring the changes
and suggestions presented to us and
relating it to our product,” she said.
T
Alessandro Dell’Acqua is also the creative director of Rochas.32 MARKETPLACE
ALESSANDRO
DELL’ACQUA
The founder and designer
of ready-to-wear and
accessories brand No. 21
on his resort looks and
becoming an Instagram hit.
By Mosha
Lundström Halbert
1What was the starting point for
your resort ’15 designs?
The collection was divided into
three parts: For the sailor section,
we did big white or blue shoes with
fringe and little bow details — all
completely flat.The second part
was the African section, with
wallpaper prints and a safari-theme
toile de jouy.To complement this,
we did heels in an embroidered,
bonded canvas tapestry that is
traditionally used for interiors.
We wired it to give it shape and
flexibility.The last section was
about romance, so I did tiny
appliqué flowers on sweet
espadrilles and moccasins.
2Your Ronny mule, which debuted
for spring ’15, has become a
signature style for the label.
Could we see it again in your
next collection?
People ask me again and again for
these bow mules. Maybe for the
commercial
collection,
yes, but for the runway show,
absolutely not. I’m all about the
new, the new, the new! There
always have to be new shoes and a
different point of view each season.
3The styles went viral pretty
quickly and were spotted on
bloggers such as Man Repeller’s
Leandra Medine. What do you
make of this?
It’s the new wave of media and
something I think is super fun.
My shoes have been popular on
Instagram, which I love.
4How significant is footwear to
your brand?
The shoe collection keeps getting
bigger, and the business is growing
quickly.We offer the full collection
through Massimo Bonini. I often
think about the shoes before I start
designing anything else. I like to
[explore] contrasts. Last spring, we
played with big bows to create a
boudoir mood through the shoes
because the clothes were very
masculine. I used fabrics and
techniques normally found in
couture. Shoes are becoming a
highlight of the collection more
and more.To work, they have to
be spectacular.
5But can flats be as spectacular
as heels?
Why not? It’s about a surprise — or
even a mistake — that keeps it
interesting.The secret is often in
the mistakes, I like to say.
5 QUESTIONS
The Ronny mule
caught on Instagram
WOMEN’S
Alepel’s latest
ad campaign
A No. 21 mule
for resort ’16