Pretty Ballerinas opens its first store in Hong Kong

There’s something us girls are not so willing to admit… the fact that high heels, stilettos and knee-high boots aren’t always the most comfortable thing to rush about in, especially when we have to conquer the steep streets and stairs of Soho. Which is where our beloved flats comes to our rescue – and Pretty Ballerinas, with their Spanish handmade leather ballet flats, are exactly the kind of saving grace we need! Lucky for us then that they have just opened their very first store in Hong Kong in Causeway Bay – yippee!

Coming from a four-generation Mascaro family of ballerinas and fine footwear production in Spain, Pretty Ballerinas can definitely be crowned the expert in ballet flats. From an online shop in 2005 to taking over shop spaces next to luxury brands in the biggest cities of the world today, their range of colourful and finely-made shoes have swiftly become the favourites of stars like Kate Moss, Angelina Jolie and even the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton.

Their first ever store in Hong Kong has convinced us that ballerina flats are definitely not just for ballet class – and with their cute flats for younger girls, we are tempted to buy a pair of these for everybody in the fam! Round toes are the ultimate all-time classic shape and come in all kinds of colours and embellishment (nude for work, brights for weekends and prints for holidays… we like!), while the new pointed toe flats have caught us hook, line and sinker! We also love their sister brand, Pretty Loafers, featuring easy-to-wear and eye-catching loafers for that casual Sunday afternoon in town.

After checking out all the amazing shoes at their new store in Causeway Bay, we couldn’t wait to get our hands (or feet) into these babies! But even more than that, we were super curious about the brand’s inspiration and concept – so we got an exclusive interview with the brand creator, David Bell, to get all the goss on Pretty Ballerina’s SS14 collection and their collaboration with style blogger, Bip Ling!

Why ballerina flats (instead of say trainers, or heels)?
It’s the casual shoe for the smart fashion lady – and it always has been! People have fun with flats (like t-shirts) so they’re nice to work with, and commercially it works because people really wear flat shoes a lot.

From the SS14 line, which style would you say is your favourite and how did the design come about?
I like the very pointed toe ballerina (Ella) – the shape is new and so on-trend, and they make ladies’ legs look so much longer! We had another pointed style and customers asked us for even longer toe… And the customer is always right!

We love the crossover collection with Bip Ling; how did this collaboration come about?
I was doing the Pretty Loafers launch event at a store in London and Bip popped in with her film crew, who were filming her for a month all around Europe. I loved her immediately and asked her to design a collection for us; she said yes on the spot and that’s how it happened!

Finally, what kind of character do you think a woman wearing Pretty Ballerinas would have?
Confident, feminine, sexy, with an easy smile and a twinkle in her eye!

So if you’re in need of some quality shoe investment, we definitely recommend a trip to Causeway Bay’s Pretty Ballerinas. With shoes ranging between around $2050-2900 for a pair, they probably aren’t going to be a fast-fashion impulse buy – but we’re sure that after you experience these handmade shoes (made from couture-standard leather no less!), you’ll be convinced that the price-per-wear could justify investing in a pair… or two!

Pretty Ballerinas  Shop G22, G/F, Windsor House, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
2252 9822  www.facebook.com/…