From Etsy to Net-a-Porter: Meet the 20-Something Who’s Handcrafting the Summer’s Hottest Sandals
Embellished leather sandals by Mabu by Maria Bk. (Photo: Net-a-Porter)
If you’re a footwear fiend who hasn’t heard of Mabu by Maria Bk, you will soon. They’re being hailed as the casual shoes of the season: cool, rainbow-colored sandals, decorated with playful pompoms, miniature coins, and friendship-bracelet details. WhoWhatWear accurately described them as a “fiesta” for your feet — and, as we see it, if Carrie Bradshaw were to spend a holiday vacationing on Santorini, her suitcase would be loaded with Mabu by Maria Bks.
So who’s the mastermind behind Mabu? They may look like they fell to earth from Candy Land, but the cheeky flats’ actual story is far more endearing. “Maria Bk” is Maria Bakakou — an ambitious 28-year-old from Athens with a passion for unique design and Greek culture. At 17, Bakakou began making shoes for herself and a few friends, taking inspiration from her country’s mythology filled history, ancient architecture, and the “bright, warm, and cheerful colors” that reminded her of her favorite time of year.
Maria Bakakou. (Photo: Courtesy of Maria Bakakou)
“I thought that I could combine that Old World style with the modern world while adding a touch of the summers of Greece by using all these wonderful colors and shades that the islands get every summer,” Bakakou tells Yahoo Style. “I try to include all the unique beauty and positive energy that one feels when visiting [the islands].”
It was a winning combination. Word of her designs began to spread: The then 20-year-old Bakakou started selling her sandals at her parents’ small store, located in the center of Athens. She also invested in seminars and courses in fashion design, styling, and fashion history in London over three years. But Bakakou says she learned the most simply by making all her shoes by hand.
“The need for quality, comfort, and the feminine aesthetic of a woman simultaneously inspires and motivates me to evolve the structure of designs — making the shapes of the shoes more elegant, comfortable, special, and interesting, with high quality, but continuing to assemble them the traditional way,” she says.
In June 2015, Bakakou decided to take her creations global by setting up an Etsy shop. It’s a move that many motivated local artisans make, and in Bakakou’s case, it turned out to be life-changing. Several months later, Net-a-Porter — arguably the largest seller of designer and luxury goods online — reached out to Bakakou about a collaboration with the site. The result? Six totally unique Mabu by Maria Bk sandals, ranging from gladiators to Grecian, each with the brand’s signature beading, embroidery, and handcrafted appeal. (The Mabu by Maria Bk Etsy page currently boasts an additional 39 styles.) None costs more than $200.
“That makes me really happy,” Bakakou says of the collab. “Net-a-Porter is one of the biggest and most respected fashion websites worldwide — who wouldn’t be excited?! We’re so thankful.”
The “we” she’s referring to is the team of people she’s hired in order to keep up with her fast-growing business — without compromising on workmanship. “We spend a lot of time making each pair of sandals, giving special attention to the manufacturing so we can achieve the best and highest possible quality that we can,” she explains. “Most of our designs take about three to six hours to make, though one model takes seven to eight or more hours, since many of the materials and details on it are also handmade.”
Suffice it to say, all that time and care are paying off. When we asked Bakakou which celebs she’d love to see wearing Mabu, she named Rihanna and Katy Perry — two superstars with a fearless fashion sense who get off on dressing playfully, i.e., the human embodiments of Mabu, the brand. But we can also see them hitting it big with the festival crowd — for those cool girls on the prowl for an industry-approved (yet equally playful) alternative to the flower crown.
Whoever wears them, the future’s certainly looking bright for Mabu and Maria Bakakou. Maybe even brighter than those neon rainbow pompoms sewn onto her sandals.
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day.
