Alana Oates
@lanio is the creator & founder of Llani. Female owned & operated, Llani shoes are beautiful, timeless and just incredibly cool.
What was your path in realizing you wanted to be a shoe designer?
I didn't initially set out to design shoes and accessories; I studied apparel in school. I thought I had missed the boat on accessories. After I graduated, I interned under a shoe designer and a handbag designer. They both taught me so much, and eventually hired me as their assistant and I began designing my own product. I was soon able to travel to the shoe and bag factories where we were producing my designs. The experience of working hands on in the factories still teaches me so much each time am able to travel.
What inspired you to start your own shoe brand? What was the biggest reward in taking the leap?
It was always my goal to have my own brand. The biggest reward is the ability to structure each day for myself. I enjoy being self directed, and I'm most productive when I can build my own schedule.
What was your initial vision for Llani?
Working in India always inspired me, so I knew I wanted to start with the country of origin. India has a deep influence on the brand. The women around me inspire me so much, my friends, my mother, my daughter, my mentors. I design for them. It was also important to me that the brand has an effortless vibe. I don't want anything too precious or fussy, but still each piece remains elegant and hand touched, as if the shoes are a treasured piece, found at an open air market in some obscure part of the world, and you find yourself living in them.
What were some of the major lessons you learned starting your brand?
When I had my daughter last year, I had to adjust my expectations of myself. I just couldn't accomplish all I used to in a day. So I had to learn to be patient.
What would you say to someone who is interested in starting their own business?
Stop talking and start doing! Take baby steps every day, write a list of each thing you need to do and knock off one thing at a time. Give yourself a launch date and stick to it.
What was the best career advice you have received?
My husband always encouraged me to have my own brand. I was scared to start and I thought everything needed to be in the right time, and he kind of just kept pushing me in the right direction and kept me motivated along the way.
Of all the shoes you’ve designed which one were you most excited for?
Our Embellished Room Slide is still my favorite shoe I've designed for Llani. I'm proud of the fact that women have worn this down the aisle, but it just as easily pairs with vintage Levis. We have sold over 400 pairs of this shoe independently, on our own website. This shoe is my beacon of light when I'm feeling like i've hit a dead end creatively. Or when I come home from a tough meeting, I put on these shoes to reignite my determination to make Llani a globally recognized brand.
How do you keep creative each day with your work? Do you have any nontraditional sources of inspiration? Is there anything that helps you get into a creative mood?
I just love being visually stimulated, so browsing IG or Pinterest will do the trick in a pinch. I follow a lot of interior design accounts so I draw tons of inspiration from home textiles and furniture design. If I'm needing a fresh perspective, I try to get out to a museum or some shops. Even walking outside for a bit or taking my daughter to a garden will make me feel renewed.
Describe your creative process when starting a new project.
The beginning of a new season or project is my favorite. I always start by creating a mood board, selecting imagines that speak to me and they tell a story. Usually there is a muse at the center of the concept, she lives in a specific city, has a job, I start to imagine who she is, what she is wearing, what she wants to be wearing.
Do you have a mantra for staying positive with your work? How do you deal with self-doubt?
Self doubt and imposters syndrome are two things I deal with on the daily. It's only natural to doubt yourself when you’re taking big leaps and you don't have much of a safety net like you do when you’re working for a big company. I do try to keep it all in check. I listen to a lot of Female Founder Podcasts, or something uplifting and it's comforting to know that every other founder or entrepreneur feels this way at times.
What are your most treasured design tools? Do you have any tools or routines (design or otherwise) that have become essential to your work experience?
I have a huge pair of gold scissors and a little butterfly tape measure that I have had since college that are always in my kit. A slew of burgundy Le Pen's are always scattered around my office. Gold binder clips are on my Prime auto reorder- and I only sketch with the crappy yellow mechanical pencils with the pink erasers. I don't use the eraser, but instead I have 2 mars Plastic Staedler erasers on hand, one that's broken in to small bits for details and one big chunky one for larger mistakes. It's rare that I sketch by hand much anymore but I try to go old school every few months in fear that I will forget how to use my hands!
In addition to beautiful shoes, you also create jewelry. Are there any future additions to your collection that you’re really excited for?
Not yet, but the dream is to go complete lifestyle brand. Stay tuned!
* Illustrations by Heather von Fritz