Bal Harbour

A WOMAN OF HER OWN DESIGN Meet Amina Muaddi, one of the most sizzling shoe designers in the game right now. COURTESY GUCCI 58 BAL HARBOUR When an Amina Muaddi stiletto extends from a black car, on Kendall Jenner or Gigi Hadid, it is unmistakable: The heel's pyramid base has become iconic, a remarkable feat for a designer just two years into her namesake collection. Her collection is currently available at Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus at Bal Harbour Shops. You studied shoemaking with master artisans in Italy. What do you value most about the craft? "I loved learning everything about the process. Shoes are all about details and small proportions. If you don't get them right, you can easily alter the look of a design, not to mention the comfort of a structure." In your acceptance speech at the Footwear News Achievement Awards for Designer of the Year in 2019, you thanked your mother for "the gift of freedom." How did she inspire you? "Actually, my mother physically took me out of an environment where it would have been hard, if not impossible, for me to develop into the woman I am today. She is so brave. In Jordan, the family I come from is pretty conservative and had we not left, I probably would have not been able to even have the freedom to have these dreams." What inspired the palette of your Spring 2020 collection? "Last year, I went to Jamaica, the Bahamas, and Colombia, wonderful places with so much color, life and culture. I got influenced by all of this beauty. I like my shoes to look like candy." Every city has its own style; how would you define the Miami sensibility? "I love Miami; I go often. It combines the exoticism of a tropical destination with the vibrance of city life. I enjoy the mix of cultures, the Latin influences and the colorful design. From the Wynwood Walls to the Bal Harbour Shops, and all the vintage furniture shops, there is a lot to get inspired by." —Alisa Carroll GLAM DOES GOOD For its landmark inaugural Changemakers Impact Fund, Gucci awarded 16 community organizations with grants up to $50,000, two of which operate right here in Miami. Educate Tomorrow (which helps youth who have dealt with homelessness and foster care secure admission and graduate from college), and The Alliance for GLBTQ Youth (which advocates for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and questioning young people), are both bodies that put into action the social equity and justice that Gucci aims to back. The Fund is part of Gucci's larger goal to increase inclusion and diversity across the fashion industry and the country—and proves that the mega-company is paying way more than lip service to the cause.

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