I'm Alicia, founder of MU the brand, an industrial engineer and mother of two.
In 2021 I had just moved to Istanbul for personal reasons and was expecting my first daughter. I had built my career in finance and had previously lived in Bucharest.
My husband and I wanted to stay abroad for a few more years, so I thought it was the right time to start a personal project I could run from any country, one that would let me organise my life as my family grew.
A friend from university was in a similar
situation: it was the perfect moment to take the leap. The pandemic had just happened and we saw everyone wearing sneakers, even our parents!
We decided to go for it and build a carefully crafted project that would give Spanish artisan shoemaking a chance. Having lived in several countries, we had seen how much Spanish leather and craftsmanship are valued abroad, and that was something we were ready to fight for.
We approached the project with humility, as everything was new to us.
The biggest challenge was finding a manufacturer willing to make a small run of 150 pairs. I called at least 50 before one agreed; we still don't know whether it was my persistence or their need.
The first pairs sold out in 3 months, with the help, of course, of our families and friends, without whom we could never have started. We were happy, but we began to see the problems that local production faces. Our manufacturer went bankrupt (a three-generation family business), rising material and energy costs didn't help, and we set out to find another. We were back to square one, but this time we had a little experience and it was somewhat easier to be heard.
We started working with our current manufacturer, a family business with experience dating back to 1950. We rely on their deep knowledge every day; without it we would never have come this far.
A few months after we started, I moved to Istanbul for personal reasons and Ángela stayed in Madrid, but the world had already adapted to remote work and, with production and logistics well organised, we could keep going from a distance.
At the end of 2022 we turned one, having overcome plenty of obstacles but happy with the results. We had sold more than 1,000 pairs in our first year, including 100 to Chile, where Spanish-made products are highly valued.
Values
At MU we know that Spain has the knowledge and the materials to create a truly high-quality product. That's why we believe in slow fashion, standing up for the quality of responsibly made footwear through close, responsible trade and 100% Spanish production.
We take care of every detail with artisan finishes, such as stitching the leather to the sole or the embroidery on the heel. The leather we use is high-quality Spanish leather. Its production process is controlled, audited and certified as environmentally responsible.
We believe in creating unique, timeless, high-quality and versatile pieces that stay with us for years.
We never forget comfort, one of the essential qualities of MU, which is why we have invested time and resources in research and development.
In the 19th century, a well-known writer believed that MU was a lost continent in the Pacific, whose civilisation had spread its advanced technology across the world. At MU we see a parallel with the shoemaking industry and its vast knowledge: we want to keep sharing our makers' savoir-faire with the world, so that it never becomes a "lost continent".
Materials
SUSTAINABLE SKIN
LEATHER: we work with responsible materials. The leather we use is strong and long-lasting and holds the LWG environmental certification. Its production process is controlled, audited and certified as environmentally responsible.
