The Australian Designers Who Found Their Niche in Luxury Footwear

When expat Sydneysiders Vanissa Antonious and Alan Buanne launched their luxury footwear label, Neous, in London in 2016, they barely had enough product for a single collection. They debuted their line at Paris Fashion Week for spring/summer 2017 – an achievement most designers can only dream of.

Despite the limited range, and that virtually no one had heard of the label at the time, Neous nabbed five stockists that first season. Won over by its architectural footwear, London heavyweight Browns department store signed on.

“That was obviously quite a huge achievement for our first season,” says Antonious. “From there it really snowballed. The next season we had Net-A-Porter and it built and built from that point on.”

Still only in its formative years, Neous has since added Farfetch, Selfridges, Harvey Nichols, Lane Crawford and David Jones to its tally of stockists, and has featured in the New York Times , Another Magazine and Australian Vogue. “I have to keep count,” says Antonious. “It feels like it’s been going for 10 years, but it’s been going for two.”

Neous, a blend of both the designers’ surnames, merges sculptural elements with an overarching minimalism. The latest spring/summer 2019 collection draws on the label’s signature statement sculptural heels made from wood and plexiglass in unconventional shapes. There are also fun leather ankle boots (which retail around the $1000 mark) with asymmetrical heels. And slip-on transparent sandals with hand-carved wooden heels, which tap into the “ barely there ” footwear trend.

Every pair of shoes is built for long-term wear, and is designed to be paired with “a million different outfits” says Antonious. But the shoes are striking in their use of shape and colour.

The label’s success is due in part to its founders’ experience. Buanne began his education in footwear in Florence, where he handcrafted bespoke brogues while completing his studies in footwear design and development at Polimoda university, known for its fashion program. After graduating, he relocated to London for a five-year stint with renowned British footwear designer Nicholas Kirkwood. There he worked across design and development as part of a small team before going on to consult for labels Sophia Webster and Peter Pilotto.

Antonious started her career as an intern at Harper’s Bazaar Australia before working her way up the ladder to fashion assistant, a role she was in for six years. She then moved into assisting and styling at Bazaar UK , which eventually morphed into market editor. She was responsible for the shopping pages with a focus on accessories and footwear. “I was getting to know the market really well,” she says.

“It’s funny, because the first thing I was told as an Australian was ‘You don’t know the market here [in the UK]’.” Antonious laughs at the irony – she has every right to. The label’s success is proof of her and Buanne’s knowledge of the global industry, and it was this understanding that birthed the idea for the label in the first place.

“We have an inherently similar design method, creative approach and share the same vision for Neous,” says Buanne of his and Antonious’s partnership. “We have a very honest and understanding relationship.”

The designers’ synchronicity may result from the fact the pair have been friends for more than a decade. They met on the shop floor of Peter Morrissey 10 years ago, where they were both working retail. When asked about their relationship, Antonious puts it simply: “Alan is my best friend.”

The label’s success may also have something to do with the duo’s mutual respect for quality. All Neous footwear is made at a small family-run factory in Italy, by staff Antonious calls “amazing” and which the pair considers family. This is doubtless helped by the fact that Buanne speaks Italian.

“We know all our suppliers. We know where all our materials come from and how they’re made,” says Antonious."

neous.co.uk