Last night was the launch of The Familia Collection by IEN LEE at the Concept Store at Yorkdale Mall.
Friends and fashionistas Marci Ien (of The Social) and Diane Lee Clemons (musician and philanthropist; you may have heard of her husband Michael “Pinball” Clemons) launched their IEN LEE designer shoe line a few months ago with The Sahara Collection, gorgeous stilettos in black, light salmon and crimson red, which quickly sold out! (Don’t worry, there are more in stock again, but they’re on sale now and won’t last long!)
This time around, IEN LEE is back with a line of sneakers and slides…for those of us who may not be able to handle 4″ heels on a regular basis! The biggest seller on Day 1? The Dash, an adorable black pull-on bootie!
It was fun to be a part of this big event with my girls, and even more fun to pick up my first pair of IEN LEE shoes! I chose the Chantel style of slides: black with leopard print on top (which I am modeling below; Marci is wearing The Dash!)
To get the scoop on IEN LEE and The Familia Collection, I asked Marci a few questions!
Why start a business with Diane?
Because we both have a serious love for shoes! We’ve been friends for 20 plus years and the timing was right, and we feel that shoes are the ultimate fashion equalizer. You don’t have to be a certain age or size…you can always look and feel fabulous in shoes!
What are your tips for going into business with a friend?
You need to ask yourself a lot of questions: Are you both on the same page? What do you both bring to the table? What are your different skill sets? Are you compatible? Just because you love someone doesn’t mean you can work with them.
How would you describe The Familia Collection?
The Familia Collection is just that. The shoes are named after our kids and have their own personalities! They are comfortable, funky and transitional.
Diane & Marci
The Familia Collection is available at the Concept Store in Yorkdale until July 31st, and you can buy IEN LEE online here! The Sahara Collection is 35% off right now, and The Familia Collection will be available on the site later this week!