Shoe designer and model Mari Giudicelli grew up in Brazil with her mum and grandma, which inspired her love of handcrafts. She went to art school in Rio de Janeiro, and then packed her bags for New York when she decided she wanted to make wearable art. After studying at Parsons, FIT, and taking a specialist footwear course, Giudicelli dove into the world of shoemaking.

Her signature, laid back Leblon mules quickly gained fans around the world, allowing her to expand her namesake collection into a serious operation. We stopped by her Williamsburg apartment down by the river to ooh and ahh over her shoe collection (naturally) and talk about her rituals.