Falling for the ultimate ballet flat
Though I know some fashionistas who could do the Bataan Death March in heels, I would be the first one to fall. Though I can dance in two-inch tacon Cubanos, when it comes to walking, I much prefer staying low to the ground, in flats.
Finding the perfect flats is tricky, though. Structured ballerina flats are usually painful, while soft ones are so thin you can feel both pebble and pavement under your feet.
Enter Cocorose London, which may just be the ultimate flat.
Kim de Guzman-Lim of local fashion distribution company K-Luxe, who was vacationing in London three years ago, saw it in Fortnum & Mason, the “official department store of the royal family,” and then in an orthopedic store. “I was so intrigued because it looked super-dainty, and I thought, how come these dainty shoes were mom’s orthopedic shoes? So I tried them on, and they were so comfy.”
Lim approached Cocorose founder Janan Leo, 34, who, like her, was a modern young woman on the go.
“I’ve always loved shoes, and I think every woman would say the same, but living in London, it’s not the easiest place to walk in high heels,” says Leo, who flew to Manila for the launch. “We live on a hill, so it was very much about creating something that fit into my own lifestyle, and there wasn’t anything else out there.”
Leo designed her version of the ultimate flat, with substantial padding on the insole, heel and even that unnamed portion that usually rubs against the back of your ankle. Better yet, they were portable — you could fold them up and store them in a cute matching purse with another cunning feature: an enclosed tote bag for your heels! Best of all, Cocorose flats come in a myriad chic styles and colors so they’re a fashion statement in themselves, and not just a functional item you rely on when your heels are killing you.
“When you’re not comfortable, it’s the only thing you can think about,” observes Leo. “There are some amazing shoes out there, but nothing that fits into this modern, on-the-go lifestyle, and this is what I call ‘modern luxury.’ Today, time is so important: you leave the house early morning and don’t get back till late at night so you’ve got to take your bag for the entire day, plan for whether it’s raining or sunny, so it was very much about ‘it’s not easy to carry around your whole house in one bag, so I need something that’s functional but comfortable.’”
Two of Cocorose’s lines are offered here: Classic Elegance, the bestselling line; and Diffusion, the more affordably priced line. Prices range from P2,650 for embroidered flats to P5,490 for a pair in lambskin, the same material that luxury designer labels use. “Our prices are a little cheaper than the UK because we want to make it an accessible brand for the Filipina,” says Lim.
Cocorose rolls out almost 80 pieces per collection. Those with textile uppers are manufactured in China, while the rest are made in England and Italy. Leo reissues popular styles like the Clapham loafer (all Cocorose styles are named after UK locations like Harrow, Dalston and Wimbledon) in more colors to extend the range.
The brand also has an ongoing collaboration with England’s Royal Ballet (here it’s with Ballet Philippines), resulting in the prettiest styles with actual ballerina cred. “I do ballet six days a week, eight to 10 hours a day, so it’s very important to wear comfortable shoes after rehearsals or a show,” says Denise Parungao, the Ballet Philippines soloist who is one of Cocorose’s local muses. “Something very light, soft and flexible, so Cocorose is perfect.”
Other muses are Aranaz creative director Amina Aranaz-Alunan, jewelry designer Macky Fah, lifestyle bloggers Dominique Tiu and Nicole Ortega, and Pinkerton ice cream creator Xandra Rocha-Araneta.
“I have always been a stiletto addict, and growing up, working in fashion, everyone was in three-inch heels,” says Aranaz, who would walk the cobblestoned streets of Milan to fashion school in stilettos. “My fave anecdote is I even went hiking in a mountain ski resort in leather over-the-knee heeled boots! But then my life changed, I had children and realized I can’t live in heels. So that’s when I really started loving and looking for flats. What I really love about Cocorose is they are really, really comfy — it’s hard to find ballet flats that are really comfy — and really stylish, with a lot of options to choose from.”
“Cocorose really fits my lifestyle of a working mom always on the go,” adds Fah. “I’m always running after the kids but it’s effortlessly chic, so I still look good.”
Ortega says, “I was always into fashion before comfort but now I can do both.”
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Cocorose London flats are available at the boutique in Glorietta 5; Rustan’s Makati, Shangri-La, Alabang and Cebu; The Flat Shop in Eastwood, Glorietta 3 and Greenhills; and online at Ava.ph.
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