The first thing I noticed about the Mary Ching store on Ferguson Lane was not the mannequin legs can-canning from the purple walls nor the Audubon taxidermy perched in between feathered clutches. No, what caught my attention was the layout- it is located in a fire escape. Ironically, the Chinese empress of 5 inch stilettos with boosting platforms cemented her shop in the last place a gal wants to be caught teetering about in heels. To wear Mary Ching shoes and escape a fire is unlikely.
What’s more probable is escaping reality, according to the brand’s founder Alison Yeung, an incredibly warm and genuine woman. The two of us sat down one morning in her shop to talk about her entrepreneurial design vision and what it’s like to be called the “Jimmy Choo of China.”
Some of my fashionista friends claim that heels bring us closer to God, while for my others with walk-in closets- it’s simply the heel itself that they worship. But ultimately, fashion is all just an escape. And, for shoe lovers like me specifically, I propose we women are literally lofting our buttocks from the mundane ground, tippy-toeing on our heels to peer over that imaginary wall into something more fantastical than what stands before us at just plain eye level. Alison gets this and milks the fantasy until the last drop. “If Alice in Wonderland had a boudoir, then Mary Ching shoes would be in it.” Cha ching!
Fortunately, Mary Ching shoes last quite a bit longer than most fantasies and fairy-tails. She focuses on low volume and unique quality, a standard that so far has resulted in zero returns and a extremely loyal following of Chinese women. But how did her no-name brand win over a market who is notoriously “aspirational”, i.e. wrought with “logomania”? Alison explains that even though Chinese women are crazy for Chanel and co., their “highly sophisticated tastes” are searching for another level of exclusivity, especially where they can “express their intense patriotism” in the form of shopping. “Finding our shoes is like going on a treasure hunt. There is nothing else quite like it.”
Mary Ching has conquered much of China, appearing in glossies like Chinese Elle and Vogue and on the feet of Zhang Ziyi. Thanks to passionate designers like Alison Yeung, “made in China” is losing its stigma and helps promote other designs coming from the PRC. I should add here that Ms. Yeung, who studied all over Europe, describes her designs as a hybrid of “tasteful yet edgy.” Tasteful as in “the conformity of China” and edgy as in “the subversive style of London.”
With a strong business background to match her imaginative design, Alison not only has the aspiration to turn Mary Ching into a “luxury Chinese footwear brand,” but eventually hopes for it to become an “Asian icon.” Achieving a commercial brand is important- the team is currently working on more office-appropriate flats and lower heels for her professional clients. But, she won’t lose her edge. “I absolutely hate black!” And, her new “Adulterous Empress” (yowza!) collection debuts impossibly sexy ankle strap heels, leopard wedges, and blood red water snake sandals. There is that perfect pair for any woman at her store. “There are no good girls gone wrong, just bad girls found out.”
All pictures (except the second one, CLEARLY) are courtesy of Mary Ching website. Thank you!
