Exploring Design Insights with Footwear Designer Solvita Melne of SOLVITA ICON

Receiving the Silver Award at the London Design Awards means a great deal to me. I come from a small country, Latvia, but I have always carried big dreams and a strong inner vision.

For me, this recognition is not only an award. It is a confirmation that an idea born from personal experience, courage and intuition can speak to people beyond borders. Latvia is a beautiful country, but for this footwear collection, my dream has always been wider — I wanted the world to see it.

When I created SOLVITA ICON, my deepest wish was that these boots would not only be noticed as design objects, but would also bring joy, confidence and transformation to women. I wanted them to be worn by women who are not afraid to be visible, to make their own choices and to express their character. 

This award gives me strength and confidence to continue. It reminds me that even if you start with a personal dream, from a small country and without a large fashion background, your idea can still reach an international stage if it is honest, distinctive and created with meaning.

The London Design Awards recognition has become an important milestone for me. It encourages me to develop SOLVITA ICON further, to seek international opportunities and collaborations, and to continue creating footwear with character, symbolism and soul.

This achievement has had a very important impact on me personally and professionally. SOLVITA ICON is still an emerging footwear project, but receiving recognition from the London Design Awards has given it an international voice and credibility.

For me, this award became a confirmation that my creative vision has value beyond my local market. It gave me more confidence to present myself not only as a finance professional but also as a shoe designer with a clear identity and a meaningful story.

It has also helped me see the next direction more clearly. I believe SOLVITA ICON has potential through international visibility, custom orders, collaborations, fashion events and partnerships with women who value footwear with character and meaning.

This award has not only opened doors outside; it has also opened a door inside me. It confirmed that I should continue developing this path.

Experimentation plays a very important role in my creative process. For me, it is the bridge between the idea in my head and the real object that can be worn, touched and tested.

One example is the light checkered boot with the horse-shaped heel. At the beginning, the colours, grid and heel detail were planned differently. I explored different technical solutions and printing possibilities until I found a way to create a grid that felt visually strong and durable. The horse's heel also took time to find — I searched until I found the right shape, colour and expression.

Another example is the white boot inspired by playing cards. The metallic toe and heel details came from my own practical experience of wearing high heels and boots for many years. I wanted the design to be beautiful, but also thoughtful and functional.

For the chess-inspired boots, experimentation meant learning new technical skills — working with vectors, clichés and hand-painted symbols. Each pair taught me something different and helped me turn a visual idea into a real product with character, quality and meaning.

One of the most unusual sources of inspiration for me is the idea that life itself is a game — not in a superficial way, but as a space of choices, risks, victories, losses, growth and transformation.

This idea became one of the creative foundations of SOLVITA ICON. Chess inspired me through strategy, movement and feminine strength. Every woman is different, and through these symbols I wanted to ask: What kind of woman are you — a woman who is not afraid to be visible? Are you quietly wise, strong and self-assured, or bold, mysterious and unpredictable?

The horse-shaped heel also carries this message. It represents movement beyond the expected path — a woman who chooses her own direction instead of following a straight, conventional line.

The playing-card-inspired boots come from a more personal place. Card games have been part of my life since childhood. My grandmother taught me to love them. I later taught my cousins and my children, and this joy continued through generations.

For me, games are not only about winning. They are about relationships, intuition, coexistence, respect and shared memories. That is why these symbols became meaningful parts of my design language.

One thing I wish more people understood about the design process is that it is not fast, mechanical or impersonal — especially when it comes to individual or conceptual footwear.

Every designer shoe begins with an idea, and that idea has to be strong enough to stay in someone’s memory. It should be interesting, meaningful and sustainable, not just visually attractive for one moment. For me, a shoe design must carry character, emotion and purpose.

The process includes many invisible stages: searching for the right form, choosing materials, testing colours, thinking about comfort, durability, symbolism and how the shoe will live in the real world. Every detail matters — the line, the heel, the texture, the symbol, the balance, the way the shoe changes the posture and confidence of the woman who wears it.

I often feel that creating a design is similar to raising a child. At first, it is only an idea, fragile and personal. Then you shape it, correct it, protect it, test it and help it become strong enough to go into the world on its own.

That is why I believe design is not only about beauty. It is about responsibility and added value. A good design should not only attract attention; it should give something meaningful to the person who wears it.

I like to bring my designs into the world with a story, a feeling and an emotion. For me, footwear should not be anonymous or empty. It should carry meaning, quality and character. It should make a woman feel something — confidence, strength, individuality, joy or the courage to be visible.

I believe the balance between a client’s expectations and my own creative vision begins with trust, dialogue and understanding.

Individual footwear design is very personal. I want to understand the woman’s measurements, lifestyle, wishes and the feeling she wants to express through the design. At the same time, I bring my own creative language into the process — symbolism, structure, femininity, character and meaningful detail.

For me, the best result appears when the client’s personality and my design vision meet naturally. Then the shoe becomes more than an object. It becomes a personal expression of confidence, individuality and presence.

My current creative focus is women’s footwear. I want each design to strengthen a woman’s sense of individuality, confidence and presence. For me, the most meaningful result is when a woman feels that the design truly reflects her.

One of the biggest challenges was turning a very clear idea in my mind into a real, wearable and high-quality product.

Each design had its own technical difficulties. For the light checkered boot, I had to find the right way to create the grid so that it would look elegant and remain durable over time. The horse-shaped heel also required a long search, because the shape, colour and character had to match my vision exactly.

For the white playing-card-inspired boot, the challenge was to combine beauty with practicality. I wanted the metallic toe and heel details not only as visual accents, but also as functional protection based on my own experience of wearing high heels and boots.

For the chess-inspired boots, I had to learn new technical processes, including working with vectors, clichés and hand-painted details. I visited different companies, asked questions, tested possibilities and kept looking until I found the right solutions.

I overcame these challenges through patience, research and persistence. I did not want to compromise the meaning or quality of the collection. Every difficulty became part of the design story and helped make SOLVITA ICON stronger.

When I feel a creative block, I do not try to force creativity. Usually, I need movement, silence or a change of energy.

Running, dancing, cycling and meditation help me reconnect with myself and clear my mind. I also write ten gratitudes every day. This practice helps me return to balance, notice beauty again and remember why I create in the first place.

Another very important source of motivation for me is my three children. When I look at them, I want them to see a woman who was not afraid to grow, change and follow her creative path. I want them to be proud of me not only for what I achieve, but also for the courage to try.

I also believe inspiration lives in everyday life — in conversations, emotions, memories, symbols, women, movement and personal experiences. Sometimes the best ideas come not when I am actively searching for them, but when I allow myself to slow down, observe and simply feel.

The personal values I bring into my designs are love for life, courage, individuality and joy. 

I truly love life, and I believe that life loves me back. Because of that, my footwear designs will always carry something personal — my feelings, my experiences, my energy and my way of seeing the world. I do not want to create empty objects. I want my designs to have emotion, character and a story. 

Travel is also an important part of my life. I feel like a person of the world, and every place, culture, colour, street, woman and detail I notice can become part of my future creative language. I believe this will appear more and more in my next designs. 

At the same time, my experience as a mother, finance professional and numerologist has also shaped me. It has given me responsibility, structure, intuition and a deeper interest in people. 

Through my designs, I want to share my joy, my experience and my belief that every woman deserves to feel visible, confident and inspired.

My advice to emerging designers is to dream big, not to make themselves smaller, and to allow themselves to be happy on the journey.

Success does not always come quickly, and the creative path is not always easy. There will be doubts, technical challenges, financial limitations and moments when other people do not understand your vision. But if the idea truly lives inside you, it deserves your attention and courage.

Do not wait until everything is perfect. Start with what you have, learn step by step and keep moving. Ask questions, search for solutions, trust your intuition and do not be afraid to bring your own story into your work.

The world does not need another copy. It needs designers who are honest, brave and willing to create from their own truth. Dream big, stay visible and do not forget to enjoy the process.

If I could collaborate with any designer, it would definitely be Jimmy Choo. 

For me, his footwear represents femininity, elegance, glamour and emotion. I am a very feminine and romantic woman myself, and when I see his shoes, I often feel an immediate spark of excitement. There is something in the shape, the details, the silhouette and the overall feeling that speaks to me. 

What I admire most is that his shoes are not only beautiful. They carry a sense of desire, confidence and celebration. This is something I also value deeply in footwear design — a shoe should not be empty. It should have added value, a story, a mood and a feeling that stays with the woman who wears it. 

I believe a collaboration with Jimmy Choo would be a dream opportunity to explore elegance, femininity and bold self-expression at the highest level.

I do not own a pair of Jimmy Choo shoes yet, but I truly believe that one day I will. And perhaps that dream itself is also part of my journey as a shoe designer. 

One question I would love people to ask me is: “When will my pair of shoes be ready?”    

My answer would be: your pair will be ready when your idea, my design vision and skilled craftsmanship meet in one real, wearable story.

For me, this question means that the design is no longer only an image, a sketch or a beautiful thought. It is becoming something real — a pair of shoes created for a specific woman, her personality, her measurements and her way of moving through the world.

I would love women from different countries to ask me this question, because my dream is for SOLVITA ICON to travel beyond Latvia and reach women who want footwear with character, meaning and individuality.

When the pair is ready, my wish is simple: for the woman to step into it and feel that she has entered a more beautiful, confident and personal world.