12 Oct In Her Shoes: How A Former Olympic Equestrian Became A Cobbler To The Stars
Growing up in the Pennsylvania countryside, Mary Alice Malone discovered her first love, dressage, which earned her a spot on the Junior Olympic equestrian team. Later, after studying furniture making, carpentry, upholstery and welding in Colorado, she landed in London to become a cordwainer — a.k.a. cobbler — and discovered her second love, shoemaking. After a fateful meeting with her future business partner, Roy Luwolt, a diplomat’s son and venture capitalist, she cofounded Malone Souliers in 2014. Three years later, the little luxury shoe label that could is stocked in over 250 stores worldwide, including Bergdorf Goodman, Harvey Nichols and Net-a-Porter. Celebrity fans of the brand include Amal Clooney, Elizabeth Olsen and Bella Hadid. Here, Malone — also an accomplished martial artist — walks us through her unpredictable path to astonishing success.