"Behind the Brand" is our column where you get exclusive behind-the-scenes access to our partner brands and learn more about the people that make our products. Today, we meet Justa, brand consultant at JJ Heitor.
What is the story behind JJ Heitor? When did it start and what was the inspiration behind it?
Joaquim José Heitor, SA, is a company with 57 years of expertise in the production of women's footwear.When we turned 50, in 2013, we decided to celebrate this very special date, with an event that was also memorable:the launch of our own brand, JJHeitorShoes. JJHeitor are the initials of the name of the founder and JJ is an acronym with phonetics and a feminine and romantic design.
What are the values that drive the brand?
Following the previous answer are: design, femininity, sophistication, elegance.
"Behind the Brand" is our column where you get exclusive behind-the-scenes access to our partner brands and learn more about the people that make our products. Today, we meet Justa, brand consultant at JJ Heitor.
What is the story behind JJ Heitor? When did it start and what was the inspiration behind it?
Joaquim José Heitor, SA, is a company with 57 years of expertise in the production of women's footwear.When we turned 50, in 2013, we decided to celebrate this very special date, with an event that was also memorable:the launch of our own brand, JJHeitorShoes. JJHeitor are the initials of the name of the founder and JJ is an acronym with phonetics and a feminine and romantic design.
What are the distinctive features of the brand’s products?
JJHeitorShoes are elegant, feminine, with a touch of sophistication. And last but not the least: comfortable.
How does the creative process for the products carry out?
The creative process can be divided into 3 stages: research, sketching and execution. This is a process of generating ideas with an open-minded thinking to create new concepts. In detail that research allows to feed the brain with inputs, inspirations, social movements, trends, new ideas, concepts, materials, customer demand, macro-economical factors, availability and the season zeitgeist. The sketching stage starts translating into a clean sheet the mix of all the above inputs from the research stage and put it into a unique and functional solution. At the end of this stage, we have a handful of ideas already on paper so later we can choose the best and worth pursuing further. The end of this process wiil be the execution which is extremely rewarding because it will be the moment when all ideas will became a reality and a materialisation of the entire process.
Personally, what is your day like working at JJ Heitor?
Fundamentally very dinamic and no 2 days are alike. When launching a new collection, it is necessary to monitor it's development, define the comunication concept, monitor the photo shoot... Outside this period it's essential always be attentive to digital comunication, which includes monitoring other brands, responding to customer's questions, developing and posting social content, update the collection at our online store…. There is also the need to give feedback to our clients, the multibrand stores. There are countless activities that bring great dynamics to everyday work.
Is there a specific product or piece that has proved iconic for the brand?
There is no model thar we can identify as iconic to the brand. We develop very balanced collections, all within the profile of JJHeitorShoes. Sales are distributed, very homogeneously, among all models.
How has The Feeting Room played into the brand's growth?
The TFR concept is modern, cosmopolitan, irreverent... So it fits with what we want for JJHeitorShoes. Its 2 stores are widely visited by international customers who help us take the brand across borders. Of course, as it would be expected, there are collections that work better than others. But, overall, the result is quite positive.
