Mara & Mine Paddington

If you haven’t heard the name, no doubt you’ve seen Mara & Mine’s Jem Skull Slippers. Shooting to cult status after being worn by Cara Delevingne in 2013, the handmade suede slippers – embroidered with a skeleton foot – have now been spotted on the feet of Chanel Iman, Kendall Jenner and Margot Robbie.

At least 250 pairs sold the month Cara stepped out in them, and around 100 pairs every month since.

The shoes’ Australian designers, best friends Jasmine Yarbrough and Tamara Ingham, first met in Sydney in 2005, before travelling around the world and finally settling in LA where together, they launched Mara & Mine in 2012.

The label’s flagship store on William Street is its Australian home, hosting a full range of Mara & Mine’s iconic flats; recognisable by their luxurious, androgynous aesthetic. Seasonal collections are also available in-store, alongside Candice Swanepoel vegan line, on sale for first time in Australia.

Like the shoes it stocks, the William Street store merges classicism with attitude, paying homage to the label’s history, and birthplace in LA. The pair called on esteemed interior stylist and close friend Tamsin Johnson(Rae’s on Wategos) for the project. She worked with MCM House and added her own eclectic touches, including one-off furniture pieces from Italy and France.

A mirror, overlaid with artwork by LA artist Raif Adelberg, encourages visitors to take selfies while giving a nod to his risqué collaboration with the label, which saw “Fuck I Love You” inscribed across the front of the shoe. A floor work by Bondi artist Daimon Downey is another clever addition.

For those ready to explore, the Mara & Mine flagship is the place.