Filafi Fithu

Kohima, Oct. 22: Filafi Fithu, a young girl from Nagaland, took the first step into the world of designer footwear when she quit a secure government job to pursue a lifelong passion.

The journey has been not easy but with her parents’ support she dared to dream, pursue it and turn it into reality. She got off on the right foot with the launch of her own range of designer shoes under the label, Filafi Fithu, in New Delhi yesterday.

Designed by Filafi, the shoes are manufactured by Calzaturificio Taboo Line di Romeo Giuseppina at Vigevanom (near Milan) in Italy. The company is known for its quality leather and impeccable footwear.

Twenty exclusive designs in a variety of colours were unveiled last evening at the Filafi Fithu store in M-Block Market, Greater Kailash-1, one of Delhi’s posh areas.

“I want my shoes to be classic and trendy. I want my clients to feel elegant and timeless about themselves. I want to make quality products and not what you normally get everywhere. So I opted for Italian leather,” she said.

Filafi, a gold medallist from the Central Footwear Training Institute in Agra, where she did a postgraduate diploma in footwear designing and technology, had done her schooling at Meluri, 170km from Kohima. She did her graduation from Patkai Christian College, Chumukedima, Dimapur, and then cleared the Nagaland Pubic Service Commission examination to land a government job as an accountant.

Asked why she had left the job, Filafi said she wanted to show the world that Naga women could excel in all walks of life.

Filafi Fithu footwear brand assures genuine leather and state-of-the-art workmanship, claims to be “chic, trendy, comfortable and classy” and comes with a price tag of Rs 7,000 and above.

Filafi plans to open outlets across the country, including Nagaland and other states of the Northeast. Paper work is also under way for opening a retail store in Romania. Her shoes are also available online. “I would also like to have my stores in the Northeast very soon,” Filafi said.