Luxury Vegan Shoe Brand Pīferi Launches Exclusively at Harrods

A new luxury vegan shoe brand, Pīferi, is launching exclusively at London department store Harrods, for the next month.

Alfredo Pīferi, former head designer of Jimmy Choo, has his vegan footwear center-stage at Harrods’ Shoe Heaven. Pīferi's career is stacked with accomplishments after working with high-profile celebrities such as Kanye West and at Burberry and Jimmy Choo. He is now launching his own namesake footwear brand that is completely vegan.

Pīferi presented the collection for the first time at Milan Fashion Week this past February. This collection is much more than simple winter boots and flats and features eye-catching details around the ankles such as a rhinestone bracelet or detachable soquettes.

The luxury footwear brand is made from recycled materials, such as polyester and lurex, and reclaimed plastic bottles. Pīferi's collection will range in pricing from $465 for the flats to $1,095 for the over-the-knee boots.

Pīferi talked to Vogue in April about the choice to make his collection entirely vegan, saying, “I wanted to create a brand with a purpose...Five years ago, I stopped eating meat and discovered so many other flavors I’d never considered until meat wasn’t an option anymore. I thought, maybe I can do the same thing with shoes. Nobody was doing sexy and sustainable."

The brand's sole focus and motto is to make "vegan shoes divine." In his interview with Women's Wear Daily (WWD) he discussed why he only used vegan materials. “I arrived at a factory [in Parabiago, Italy] that used to produce leather shoes forever... And when it comes to glue, you realize there is animal everywhere. So we had to find alternatives.” Another challenge? Making designs as inclusive as possible.

Harrods is the first store to sell Pīferi's collection that was originally supposed to launch back in May, but due to the lockdown, had to be pushed off. “For me, Pīferi was the launch that stood out this year...I love that it’s a vegan collection. Sustainability is becoming more important and relevant for every single customer. But I also love that the shoes are super feminine, dreamy and unique,” Alberto Oliveros, general merchandise manager of Kurt Geiger at Harrods told WWD.

Pīferi won't let the new London lockdown, which begins this weekend, impact his excitement or hopes for Harrods launch. He told WWD, “In a moment of crisis, people are required to have more courage. I appreciate the courage of retailers."

Harrods is just the beginning of the brand's store debut: At the end of November, the brand will be sold in Browns in London, Level in Dubai, and with Pedder Group in five locations in China.

Leaders in the fashion industry, such as Stella McCartney, Marc Jacobs, and Prada are proving fashion can still be high-end and sustainable. Stella McCartney, a brand that is completely vegetarian, recently partnered with a mushroom leather brand along with Adidas and Lululemon to innovate future vegan leather products. Other luxury brands such as Prada, Valentino, and Tommy Hilfiger are ditching the real leather or fur to stop contributing to cruelty.

A brand like Pīferi is set out to prove that sustainability and sexy can be synonymous. Alfredo Pīferi is another example of a fashion designer leading the way to a more eco-friendly world and setting the bar high for others to follow.

Lookout for Pieferi's website that is set to launch next month.