Marcue

Marcue is a new Australian shoe line founded in October 2012 by Marina Roorda.
I met Marina at her stall at the last Finders Keepers Market in Sydney on May 1st.
Marcue is about character, detail and confidence. The line is a collection of handmade leather shoes and accessories that marry freshness, colour and a sense of daring with old school craftmanship.
Marina's studio is in Sydney and I have been lucky enough to ask her about what it takes to create such a unique product.

1/ Where did you learn your craft?
I consider my extremely lucky, the TAFE course in which had intended to enrol had been discontinued, I then did a short course with a shoemaker for the dance and film industry. During the course I met someone who was kind enough to mentor me for another 12 months afterwards. He taught me a lot, especially about the sewing and assembly of the uppers. To help strengthen my knowledge I read a lot of books, watched a lot of videos, browsed a lot of websites and I practiced endlessly.

2/ Where do you draw inspiration for your designs?
Initially, I begun by combining colours from the 80s with styles from the black and white era from Hollywood, as time passed I begun to look for fresh sources of inspiration, such as the colour combinations found in nature. Right now I am enjoying the sleek lines of mens suits from the 1920s and 1930s, but inspiration is never far away. If you have a curious mind then its not hard to find something visually appealing no matter where you are.

3/ What do you see as the pros and cons of shoemaking in Australia?
The cons: The Australian shoemaking industry as a whole is suffering from the effects of a small marketplace, cheap imports, higher manufacturing costs and failure to move with the times and adapt. This has meant that a great deal of knowledge and skill has been lost and suppliers are closing their doors.
The pros: Those who remain, I believe, are in a prime position to enjoy the renaissance of interest in high quality, fashion forward footwear made here in Australia that will occur in a few years time. Furthermore, Australia is moving leaps in bounds in the world of fashion, film and art, what better place to be for someone like me.

4/ Who is your style icon?
Diana Vreeland