Entertainment
The master shoemaker
Ahmed Dulla is a certified footwear designer. But his passion for shoes extends well beyond design boards to the assembly table of his solely operated company, Dulla Shoes, where he crafts each pair with his hands. He has recently ventured into making leather bags as well, and is planning to craft men’s footwear too.Ahmed Dulla is a certified footwear designer. But his passion for shoes extends well beyond design boards to the assembly table of his solely operated company, Dulla Shoes, where he crafts each pair with his hands. He has recently ventured into making leather bags as well, and is planning to craft men’s footwear too. The Post’s Gaurav Pote caught up with the prolific shoemaker-designer to talk about his passion for shoemaking. Excerpts:
Please tell us a little about your your childhood.
I was born in Kathmandu, but was schooled in Kalimpong. After I got done with high school, I went to Delhi to study footwear designing. I was not a very
studious child. It’s not that I didn’t make an effort, but I just felt like I wasn’t cut out for studies. Since I performed so poorly in class, I had to repeat grades more than once.
What keeps you busy these days?
Usually I’m busy making shoes. On the side, I’ve been expanding my business
at my own pace while taking care of everything from sourcing raw materials and manufacturing shoes to marketing and supplying them to my customers. I’ve also been planning to extend my product line to men’s collection.
What made you pick shoe-designing as a profession?
Like I mentioned earlier, I was a weak student. I hated textbooks! My distaste for studies somehow sparked an interest in shoe-designing, because it consisted only about 20 percent of theoretical learning. It immediately caught my interest. In no time, my interest turned into a lifelong passion. So without any delay, I enrolled in the renowned Footwear Development and Design Institute (FDDI), in Delhi, for a formal training in shoe-designing. At the beginning, my family and friends were shocked. Some friends even went as far as to mock me and pass offensive remarks. But it didn’t take more than a year to show them my products once I started business.
Tell us a little about the footwear training and the scope of such qualification here in Nepal.
I took a three-year-long training in footwear designing. Although it says designing, it also involves learning everything about making shoes from scratch—both manually and with the latest technology. Upon the completion of the degree, a very optimistic scenario would be that you’d land a job placement or an internship in one of the major footwear brands like Nike and Adidas. That’s not to imply that we lack opportunities for shoe designers here in Nepal. Some of the top Nepali brands don’t have trained shoe craftsmen and designers, and they’re always on a lookout for new talent. If you are skilled enough and have the confidence then you can easily land a job here in our local market, and the pay is good too.
What, in your opinion, makes a successful shoemaker?
The most fundamental element is skill, of course. Nothing beats the craftsmanship of the shoemaker. Some creativity certainly comes in handy, and precision is a result of mistakes and hours-long practice. Besides the mastery of the production, a successful shoemaker also needs to keep up with the trends. The technological know-how is a must and so is the ability to adapt in a competitive market with rapidly changing consumer choices and fashion trends.
I’m sure our readers would love to know more about your business…
Calling it a business definitely makes it sound fancy but it is just a solely owned and operated venture called Dulla Shoes. There is no factory or any physical store. Not even a website. I conduct all my sales through the Facebook page of Dulla Shoes, and receive orders from it. To keep things exclusive, I always maintain a limited collection for any design or style on the self. They might cost anywhere between Rs 2,500 to Rs 6,000 a pair. I also take custom orders but such orders usually cost a bit more, depending on the kind of design and material used. The custom orders I’ve received so far range from Rs 25,000 to 40,000.
As far as the shoemaking is concerned, I source leather and other necessary materials from India. Then I sit down to design the shoes which takes a while. Once the design is complete, it’s possible to make about 10 shoes with a decent day’s labour.
How tough do you reckon is the footwear industry here? And how have you differentiated your one-man operation?
Despite the fact that Dulla Shoes has already carved out a niche in shoe
business here, the market is still quite tough. The competitive market usually has a lot more brand substitutions and price-cutting. That’s one of the reasons why I have not opted for mass production and use of cheaper materials. The niche market I am talking about prefers the higher grade of leather that I import from India, and with limited products for a design, each one becomes exclusive in style. Unlike other physical stores in town, I try to help the customers by offering good after-sale service. Within six months of purchase, they can exchange or get refunds as well, if they’re not fully satisfied with the shoes. Additionally, satisfied customers can always drop in their shoes for routine maintenance anytime even after the initial six-month period. There is no significant marketing involved, expect through social media and word-of-mouth.
What keeps you motivated to continue crafting footwear for ladies?
There are people who prefer to wear the shoes I make instead of buying them from retail shops, and that’s what keeps me motivated to continue the craft. The purchasing power of women in Kathmandu is slowly getting better and with that they have acquired a taste of an opulent lifestyle. But they’ve also become picky when it comes to quality and style. And the fact is that they are all happy with the quality and finesse of my products, certainly keeps me motivated.
What’s next for Ahmed Dulla?
When it comes to business, I like to take things slow. I would definitely like to expand my brand, but at my own pace. I’ve recently started making bags as well and there are plans for a men’s shoe line, like I said. In the meantime, I will continue doing what I’ve been doing: focusing more on quality, less on quantity.
A piece of advice to our readers...
Never rely on someone else to come to you and help you achieve your dreams. Take the initiation, make your plans and move ahead with it. You may or may not receive the kind of support you desire but the lack of it should not impede your desires.