• FIGURES: Before the pandemic, the brand had a turnover of three million euros a year

  • Networks. "Instagram allowed us to reach a lot of people"

  • BUSINESS They have offered to take the production to Portuga and China and until today it has been rejected

Elena Peña still remembers the week that the state of alarm was decreed back in March.

"Suddenly we stopped selling. Zero sales for days," he remembers in a cafeteria in the center of Madrid.

And in his head, a concern: the team of 14 people behind him.

About to give birth to her first child, her firm Micuir was reeling, but she was not willing to give up the battle for lost before fighting it: "I started to make a number with the help of my husband to know how much we had to bill so as not to have to touch the team. "

"I brought the shop assistants into ERTE and continued working with the rest of the team."

With the pandemic looming and people locked in their homes, trying to sell shoes and bags might seem crazy, but for many people it was a way of dreaming about the moment of hitting the street again.

"Social networks helped me to explain why we continued working."

There were people who criticized her a lot for it.

"

My motivation was human, rather than economic

. I was thinking of the suppliers, of all the people who are part of the project."

Micuir is a 100% 'made in Spain' brand.

"Our workshops are in Alicante and the whole process is done there. In La Rioja we have the esparto part".

It was born in 2017, with a clear commitment: "

Design, good quality and attention to detail

".

In principle, it was presented as an online store;

Later they opened their showroom by appointment because they saw that many clients wanted to see and touch the models.

And soon the store arrived at street level, in the heart of the Salamanca district, where four shop assistants serve the space.

Each Micuir model is made by hand, in workshops in Alicante.

Video calls between the team became their day to day during the lockdown and the months after.

"Instagram allowed us to reach a lot of people."

Sales resumed and at a very good pace.

"We finished with the summer stock in full confinement

."

Before the pandemic, the brand had a turnover of three million euros a year.

"Our idea now is to grow outside of Spain."

Before Micuir (which means My leather), Elena worked as Agatha Ruiz de la Prada accessories project manager in Latin America.

He returned to Spain, where he started another fashion project that closed in 2017. He already had his new challenge in mind.

"I wanted to work with the traditional techniques of tanning and making shoes and bags and

use recycled hides from the food sector

."

In May, he got the entire store team back.

"I had to do without two people in total," he says with tears in his eyes.

She is in charge of all the design part and now she is finalizing the collection for the coming winter.

"

Our best-selling model is punky boots; we will have sold about 12,000 pairs since we opened in October 2017.

"

Right now they have in store about 90 models of shoes, 20 bags and accessories such as belts, mobile holders, diaries, purses and, soon, socks.

Without forgetting its fragrance.

Punk boots are Micuir's best-selling model.

In making a Micuir model "44 people are involved," says Elena.

"

My artisans always say that more people are involved to make a shoe than to make an airplane

."

Elena visits and works a lot in the field.

"I'm going to go a lot to see the tests, to talk to them, to try ... Now all that is more complicated."

Of each model they usually make "50 pairs to start with."

Always with a touch of trend, but without losing sight of its iconic models.

"Depending on how they work, we are looking to make another similar request," he explains.

But always within one limits.

They have now added the option to initialize shoes and bags.

"We always think of formulas that give us added value."

Celebrities and influencers have also surrendered to his style.

"I think I know my clients well and that has been going on for a long time."

Elena defends responsible and knowledgeable consumption.

"There are people who say that our prices are high;

I always invite you to know what is behind a pair of our boots,

" he argues.

"It is also a shoe that will last you many years."

In confinement, he also launched interest-free installment payments.

They have offered to

take the production to China and Portugal to save costs

and so far he has refused.

"I think you have to be consistent."

MICUIR

: Claudio Coello 90.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

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