Kamo Gutsu
Kamo GutsuMore Info
Kamo-Gutsu was created in 2014 by Freddy Dreesens, who was at that time
one of the owners of the Belgian shoe company The Velvet Factory.
Besides creating men and women shoes for fashion labels we thought it would be nice
to think outside the box and create something that wasn’t on the market yet:
fresh shoes with some fun and wit, lots of color, but still very wearable and comfortable.
The first collection premiered during the MICAM shoe fair in Milan and the rest is history:
today we distribute Kamo-Gutsu in 8 countries where shoe- and fashion retailers present
our footwear as the “happy misfits” in a sometimes boring shoe world.
We develop two collections per year, manufactured in the Italian Marche region,
famous for its artisan shoes with a high quality standard.
Since December 2020 Kamo-Gutsu is created and distributed by SHUZ.63,
the company owned by the designer and instigator of the brand.
More Info
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The workshops are a moment of sharing where time stands still : a unique immersive experience in a cosy atmosphere where participants return home with a personalised leather piece and a strong feeling of pride 🙂
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Experience is not required. Only good eyes, and your good mood!
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You will find below the calendar of workshops. And at the bottom of the page you have more info & pictures about each workshop.
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Note that we also offer customised and team building workshops. Do not hesitate to contact us 🙂
The Brand
Kinamania is an independent Brussels-based atelier with a passion for leather. We make fine iconic footwear inspired by cultural heritage and revisited with elegance and dare. The shoes are made in Spain and Portugal.
“I find my inspiration in basic footwear styles that have stood the test of time to which I add fashion-forward details. This is my way of reinventing heritage.” Kristina
The brand has two main lines – The Essentials which are timeless collections and The Collaborations where Kristina partners with artists, artisans and craft-based NGOs to put their craft in the spotlight.
Collaborations
Kristina has a deep appreciation of makers and cultural heritage combined with a passion for leather as a primary raw material. Driven by her curiosity and her hunger for discovery of creative works, she collaborates with artisans and artists on her shoe collections and takes great pride in partnering, when possible, with craft-based NGOs that drive real changes in people’s lives.
The founder
Former designer and production director to the Johnny Farah House of leather accessories – between Beirut & NY – Kristina Zouein spent countless hours in artisans’ workshops. As a self-taught designer, this was a very formative experience.
In 2015 and with more than 10 years experience, she decides to create Kinamania, a slow fashion brand of accessories with a balanced mix of humility, sobriety and dare.
Of Canadian-Lebanese origins, Kristina lived most of her life in Beirut, until she met her partner and moved to Brussels a few years ago
A committed brand : Kinamania X Cancer
“In November 2019, I was diagnosed with breast cancer which pushed me to redefine the way I am leading my life and my business. Statistics show that 1 in 8 women are diagnosed with breast cancer, and I was chocked when I learnt those numbers, especially to discover that so many women, like myself, below the age of 40 go through this for reasons that are still unclear. Since then, I have committed to support cancer research.”
Leather and sustainability
Kinamania shoes are made from domesticated animal skins that are raised in agricultural settings and treated in European tanneries that are certified for their environmentally friendly working method.
The European leather industry is at the forefront of the conversation and innovation towards lower impact and circular practices :
+ to reduce chemical usage, water, and waste compared to traditional tanning processes.
+ to make sure that animals from which the hide is used are being treated well
+ to ensure that people who produce the leather are treated fairly
Fun facts to know 🙂
+++ It is through a failed romance with a Spaniard that Kristina discovered the abarca sandal style. This traditional Spanish sandal was the trigger to her shoe brand.
+++ KinaMania is a brand name with roots in ‘menorquina’, the alternative name for the abarca sandal which was originally handmade on the island of Menorca in the Baleares. The mania for Kinas is born from menorquina mania!
+++ The shoes have singer name and the subtitles refer to uplifting songs that align to the Craft Your Day tagline.
+++ The tag line says CRAFT YOUR DAY with two dashes. The two dashes symbolise the craftsmanship and hand-stitched design signature of the Kinamania fine footwear atelier.
Atypical leather-craft workshops
Kristina also offers creative leathercraft workshops combining leather and modern technology.
The objective behind those workshops is that participants personalise a beautiful object – in a warm and friendly atmosphere – and proudly return home with a unique souvenir.
WE ARE OPEN !
In the prestigious Royal Gallery of Saint Hubert, center Brussels !
Kinamania will be here until July 25.
Looking forward to welcoming you!
Galerie du Roi 22, 1000, Brussels
Open Tue-Sun from 11H-19H
Galerie du Roi 22 Brussels 1000 Belgium
13 Bollinckx Street Brussels 1070 Belgium
More Info
Our story
Founder and designer
Hi,
I am Evelyne, founder and designer of KUNOKA shoes.
I want to tell you my story from the start and it will get a little personal. I have been in shoe business for many years and I initially worked for Italian houses whose quality products I honored.
However, year after year I saw things change; the business became less lucrative because of overseas competition. Step by step, I noticed that I saw less people in the factories that I visited every year, although sold volumes did not fall back at the same pace. I felt something was not right. I could tell… I know shoes, I know craftsmanship, I know what it should feel like, I know how they should smell…
I had to realize that bit by bit production was outsourced oversees and no one wanted to admit. I started thinking is this what I want to stand for? It kept me out of my sleep and I thought about this for weeks ….
The idea behind the brand
This is the point where I started to play with the idea of creating my own brand that should be fully honest and should have the best possible sustainable approach.
I wanted the environmental impact of my project to be as low as possible and I wanted to be 100% sure that there will be no human cost at my project.
Every KUNOKA shoe is touched by real humans with families and their own set of dreams and I could not bare the idea that someone, somewhere in my project would have to struggle to survive or to feed their children or work in a toxic environment.
This I why I choose to work with a family-owned Portuguese atelier, where I can see what happens, where I know the people and where I can feel and touch every step in the birth of a KUNOKA shoe.
The second advantage of producing nearby is that we exclude the extreme environmental impact of overseas transport. Which brings me to my second concern, environmental impact which is a hard knot to untie in shoe business.
Challenges
I started by developing different prototypes and I wanted to know everything: what are they made of? Can we not change this into that? What is the effect of this? Where does this sole comes from? What is in the sole? Who makes them? How much water does it cost? How comfortable are they? Can they be modern and beautiful enough? – Hey yes, fashion remains my natural habitat and I don’t want to bring another sustainable brand which’ appearance or comfort aspect makes it obvious that the brand is sustainable.
I went on and on and made everybody – including myself – crazy. I was making progress but there were so many uncertainties and more than once doubt just hit me in the face … Would I ever find the courage to finally jump and officially go for this project?
The last of many signs…
I kept on doubting until the memorisable meeting in New York central park, this was the last of many signs I needed. Gabriella KUNOKA, who I did not know until that day, making a remark about the prototype I was wearing at that moment, convincing me that I should go for this beautiful project! Ever since, I realize every day, what I do might not be perfect, but it is not by finger pointing or complaining and sitting still that we will make progress. It is what I actually do what counts. And this is the whole story, this is how KUNOKA was born.
Always striving for the best
We are not perfect; we – and the entire industry – have a long way to go, but every initiative, how small it might look, makes a difference!
And I am proud of how far we have come and of any difference we can make, I guarantee that I will always strive for the best possible sustainable approach and I promise that this is just the beginning!
Let’s be kind to people and be kind to our world.
Love, Evelyne.
Kortrijksesteenweg 1092/G Gent 9051 Belgium