How i Learned….
With a growing collection and some sizes that didn’t fit… I started to clean the ones I didn’t fit and put them on a (local) platform for sale. Some models took a while to sell them, some were gone in a split second! At this point my interest and journey for restoration and repairs started. Something that motivated me to become very good in it, was the Covid-19 period. We were in lockdown all over the world, the Netherlands included. No options to clear the mind, no possibilities to practice sports, no work to give structure at the days, it was possible to ride the bike…and repair an old pair of CL I had left. It was a suède violet heel, model simple pump 85. I ordered paint, fillers, cleaning- and maintenance products and started a new adventure.
I started refurbishing the soles on the violet pair of heels. First sanding, then painting… looking for the right color mix of the original louboutin red. I can tell you, that was quite difficult! The suède looked pretty bad. Without any knowledge, I turned to the internet to learn how to best care for suède. By practicing a lot, making mistakes and purchasing the right materials… I managed to make the suède look like new again. In my portfolio you will find a photo of before and after repairs of this first pair. For a first time, the result is quite good!
Dear reader, I had a taste for it! The feeling that you can turn a luxurious pair of used shoes into gems again gave me a euphoric feeling. And so I went looking for more heels to broaden my knowledge and refine my skills. In the following months a real mini collection with Louboutin heels was created. I bought pairs in my own size, so i could wear them aswel, learn as much as i can about the Christian Louboutin brand.
Soon the Nikki Heels instagram was born and the content shared with the world.
After a few months my restoration work was picked up on instagram and the first customer came with requests for sole repairs. The first pair I found super exciting to fix up from someone else… as long as everything goes well! I gained the trust of the customer and was allowed to take as long as necessary. The customer didn’t need the heels immediately. Super nice not having to work under pressure right away! I have done my utmost to include all details as accurately as possible. The result? A brand new pair of painted soles, well-kept suede and a very satisfied customer!
I now have a trusted clientele. I regularly post new projects on Instagram in which I show how I expand my knowledge and skills about working with luxury brands and different types of leather.
Do you also have a pair of heels that could use some attention and care? I’m happy to help you! More information can be found under the ‘Restorations and Repairs’ tab.