BEIRUT: Beirut-based shoe brand Poise Design, founded by footwear maven Emma Boutros, just unveiled its latest collection at Arab Fashion Week, and 10 years after its inception, the label is proving to be as strong as ever.

Boutros kicked off the concept as a footwear store in Beirut, before developing it to include her own shoe label that she told Arab News is “inclusive, cultural and made in Lebanon.”

“It is a brand based on values,” the designer said. “First of all, we are inclusive. We are one of the few brands to offer sizes in widths to accommodate large feet and thin feet.”

Inclusivity is particularly important to the designer, who explained that she had personally struggled with her body image while growing up.

“Since I was a child, and all throughout my teenage years and early adulthood, I have had a plus-size figure. I had body image issues, and shoes were the only way for me to express myself as a person,” she said. “I developed this obsession with footwear. Shoes, for me, are the center of the outfit. An outfit has to revolve around a pair of statement shoes.”

Boutros also places great emphasis on cultural references in her designs and makes it a point to exploit the versatility of the distinct keffiyeh print, iterations of which can be found across the Middle East.

“We are a cultural brand because of the keffiyeh pattern we are very known for — that helps us get our culture across to other people,” she said. “I decided to use the print as a trademark and to interpret it in different colors on different materials.”

One pair of heels features a monochrome version of the print across the entire pointed-toe pump, with an oversized glittering buckle on the lip of the shoe to achieve a ‘wow’ factor. Another pair bears the same print, used to daring effect on a chunky block heel, while a see-through casing cradles the foot.

The designer’s mission is about more than just creating head-turning footwear, though.

“We are a ‘made in Lebanon’ brand,” she stated. “I decided to support our local communities of artisans, and I wanted the product to be local and handmade. I also want to add that the product is sustainable because we use dead stock material from luxury brands to create our own limited-edition footwear.”