You may know Cupcakes and Cashmere as the fashion blog, book series or clothing line, but you should get familiar with its shoes. Launching this week at Nordstrom, founder Emily Schuman is expanding her business into footwear.
Eleven years ago, Schuman started the style blog Cupcakes and Cashmere and has since become a successful influencer with nearly 470,000 followers on Instagram alone. The entrepreneur leveraged her loyal following into a book deal, an e-commerce shop and, after multiple successful collaborations with brands such as Coach and Club Monaco, a full-fledged fashion brand.
With her Cupcakes and Cashmere shoe collection, Schuman is looking for it to be an extension of her clothing line, which launched four years ago and is sold in more than 500 boutiques as well as Neiman Marcus, Shopbop, Nordstrom, Anthropologie and more.
“Having shoes was always a dream of mine. That concept of dressing a woman from head to toe is now a reality,” she told FN. “I’m very detail-oriented about what it is I like. I would say I’m a very opinionated person, which really helped in nailing design. I have so many things that I look for [in shoes] so that was the impetus for having a line.”
The assortment includes 17 “classic with a twist” styles that are both affordable and wearable, retailing from $110 to $150, in mule, sandal, wedge and pump silhouettes.
“It’s been designed for a multifaceted woman. If you are looking for something like a classic staple, we have pumps in nude and black, but they have a pop of color,” said Schuman. “In some ways it’s almost designed from a selfish standpoint where I wanted to create shoes that I want in my closet. I’ve never subscribed to having really trendy shoes because by next season [I would be] getting rid of them. These feel like pieces you can have forever.”
Schuman has been designing the shoes for two years in partnership with Zigi New York, who has the footwear license for Cupcakes and Cashmere.
Mike Shirey, president of the premium division at Zigi, said, “Emily is very involved and [the footwear] is an authentic representation of who she is. We believe the influencer channel is a major avenue to building growth. We want to make sure we augment her brand, add to it and capture her authenticity and style in the footwear.”
Schuman’s favorite shoe from the collection is the Leviana, a perforated leather mule. She said, “They are really walkable and would look great with a pair of vintage jeans. Those will transition nicely to spring/summer.” Another is the Jevlyn, a pointed toe kitten heel with a striped bow.
Following the Nordstrom launch, the line will also be available at Zappos, Shopbop and Dillards.
Talking about the Cupcakes and Cashmere brand’s success, Schuman credits quality product, a strong connection to her followers and experience in this saturated influencer space.
“I’m one of the ‘OG’ influencers if you will. Over the past 11 years, I’ve honed my style and aesthetic, and it’s something that I think a lot of girls see as really accessible,” she said. “A big part of our success is that we’ve always diversified. What I realized years ago was that blogs weren’t going to be the end all. There are always ebbs and flows and I wanted to be one step ahead of that. It really does come down to authenticity and focusing on what feels right and natural. It has to do with the connection with my readers and followers. Trust is a really big part of that.”
Keep scrolling to see top styles available at Nordstrom now.
To buy: Cupcakes and Cashmere Gemmalyn pump, $130, nordstrom.com.
To buy: Cupcakes and Cashmere Mavell sandal, $110, nordstrom.com.
To buy: Cupcakes and Cashmere Laurissa sandal, $110, nordstrom.com.
To buy: Cupcakes and Cashmere Harmon platform, $150, nordstrom.com.
To buy: Cupcakes and Cashmere Jevlyn pump, $130, nordstrom.com.
