Interview With Coclico

Meet Coclico, a sustainable and environmental aware shoe brand. The Jejune Magazine team had the pleasure to speak with Colico’s shoemaker, Diana Haber. The Coclico team is a huge fan of Renee Peters, a passionate eco-friendly model (check out her blog here: www.model4greenliving.com), who we will be featuring in our next big fashion editorial. Keep your eyes out for it!

I personally find this shoe collection a staple in your wardrobe. All shoes are current to trends in a classic way and you feel good when purchasing, no guilt. What more can you ask for?"

Please tell us about the Coclico shoe brand?

Coclico was conceived in NYC in 2000 and I opened the Mott Street store in 2001. At the time it was my office, showroom, and a multi-vendor retail space; today 275 Mott is still the hub of the business and is dedicated completely to our own collection, although the offices have moved a few blocks away to make room for the shoe boxes! The brand has grown with me, starting out as an outlet for my passions and creativity its now a reflection of my deeper philosophies and dreams for our future. Coclico speaks to a personal identity that extends beyond style and luxury to a way of living in the world.

We see you originated from France. How long have you been in New York City. What made you decide to come here? Are you still in France as well?

I came to NYC in my 20s. I’d grown up in a small town in France and was hungry to see new places and meet new people. I never left! New York has an energy that speaks to me, and although its changed a lot since I first got here I've changed too. In its way NYC raised me and I feel at my best when I’m in it. These days I do go home to visit my family as frequently as I can. Now that I have my own young family I feel a responsibility to give my daughter, June, emersion in this part of her heritage and regular access to our family.

How does your French background influence your designs?

I’m not a designer! My longtime friend Lisa Nading has been with me on the adventure that is Coclico, and she is our designer. I’m a shoemaker, my father and grandfather owned a shoe factory in France and I grew up in the world of production. Making shoes it a process of problem-solving and that’s what I thrive on. I trust Lisa’s aesthetic, and it’s my job to bring her vision to reality.

What is the brand’s philosophy with protecting the environment?

Everyone on my team is sensitive to environmental issues, we believe that it’s the big question of our times and that damage we do today cannot be easily reversed. We do the best we can in our own households to keep our foot print tiny, and we bring that same sense of individual responsibility to the office. We do it for ourselves, so that we can know we are consistent in our commitments. I don’t want to run the kind of company where people have to suspend their personal belief for 8 hours a day in favor of profit-at-all costs. Our goal is to set an example in the industry, and our hope is that one day soon our consideration for ethics and the environment will no longer be something that sets us apart from the crowd. We want it to be the norm.

I know there is a small movement for cork to replace leather, creating more vegan and environmentally friendly options. Please let us know your thoughts on that.

We think it’s very interesting and we are routing for its success, we are open to all newness. I will say that at the moment we haven’t found a source yet that has the same breathability and other such qualities as leather, or that can be produced in the varieties of ways and at the volume we need it to be. But every time we hear of something new it comes to the table for research and discussion. I’m a traditional shoe maker, and there is a long list of good reasons that leather is so integral to a good pair of shoes. At the moment, we don’t know of a viable martial replacement but we’re completely open minded to new inventions. In the meantime, we continue to purchase leather with a mind to environmental responsibility, both in sourcing it with utmost care and only buying what we need, no more. Part of our environmental commitment is in making our shoes to order. Meaning we only make what is ordered/wanted and do not sit on a warehouse of stock that might or might not find a good, loving home. We use tons of cork in our shoe making, both where you can see it and where you can't - it's an awesome natural, renewable, and local resource for traditional shoe making in Europe and we take full advantage of it!

How would you describe the style of your current collection?

Clean and modern with a nod to femininity. The word ‘timeless’ is something we use a lot. For us that means style that doesn’t date itself quickly, a shoe that was bought from our collection 5 years ago should remain relevant to today’s wardrobe. We tend to be very minimal with ornamentation, to be very clean and spend our efforts on the small details of craftsmanship. Hardware and ornamentation quickly relegates fashion to a time capsule.

Our fashion feature model: Renee Peters, is a huge fan of your brand, what do you think of Renee’s http://www.model4greenliving.com blog?

Renee is wonderful, as is her blog. She’s a model customer, no pun intended. It’s an honor to have thoughtful women across the generations give us their stamp of approval. Her blog, www.model4greenliving.com, is something I’ve recommended to friends. I really appreciate that its action based, providing the tools and resources that let her readers act on a concept. Renee gives recipes for home cleaning solutions and game plans for furnishing your home sustainably, etc., all very helpful to people who are striving to do their best. Ideas are great, providing the how-to solutions for following through is better. Kudos to her!

Social media information: IG: @coclicony

Pinterest: @coclicony

Facebook: @coclicony

Please confirm website: https://coclico.com/

Store info in the US:
275 Mott Street, NY, NY 10012
shop@coclico.com
(212) 965 5462