Eugenia has had twins, a boy and a girl and will now be coming back to work in June, or thereabouts. You can always email her but she is not taking any more work until after her return to the shop on Brighton rd. The Silver Shop has closed so there is no outlet in the city centre now.
Eugenia Neave, an Adelaide based Shoe Designer was brought up a maker.
Daughter of a jeweller and a silk painter, and sister to a movie propmaker, her earliest attempt at making shoes was as a child, and her first creation was a paper shoe with a cornflake packet sole.
A few years later, after work experience with country shoemakers, Eugenia was inspired by their lifestyle, and the diversity of the trade.
She has continued and grown with a passion for shoes, learning her trade from recognised Master Shoe Makers, Eugenia began shoemaking under the guidance of a number of skilled and willing teachers.
An intensive 2 years was spent with these shoemakers; a Bulgarian trained Bespoke Master Shoemaker, (George Koleff), an English trained Pattern Cutter (Tim Skyrme), and many hours at a Technical College.
Eugenia eagerly started her own business 'Genie Shoes' initially as a market stall in the Adelaide East End Markets in 1993. A year later moving together with a co-op of local jewellers (including her father), to a city retail outlet featuring jewellery and shoes called 'Silver Shop and Genie Shoes'.
'Genie shoes', later changed to 'Eugenia Neave - Shoemaker', as a bespoke shoemaking business, and is one of a small number of such service providers in Adelaide.
Custom making footwear for awkward fittings allows the chance for these clients to wear elegant footwear, which would otherwise be impossible.
Eugenia still enjoys making custom shoes and boots, and is also concentrating on satisfying her creative, aesthetic urges with one-off designs, and manufacturing small ranges under the label of 'Eugenia Neave - Shoemaker'.
Eugenia handcrafts each individual pair herself, with a high level of attention to detail.
Using a distinct eye for symmetry and refinement, her aim is to make beautiful footwear.
"Beauty for me is balance and grace"
History, colour, suede, fabrics and clean, classic lines turn this young designer on.
"I don't think we need to rely on fluff and glitz to create beauty."
After an initial concept Eugenia carefully sculpts a last (foot form), creates patterns and clicks (cuts out), the leather.
Pulling the stitched upper over the last, brings the form to life. Heels and soles complete the image.
"I get lost in it, lost to it."