Esska is a ladies urban footwear brand, conceived and designed in London. From its humble beginnings in 2006, Esska has become known for its stylish designs, layered materials and exciting colour combinations. Today the brand is sold in over 200 boutiques around the world and continues to grow. Souraya Karami, Esska’s founder and designer, originally trained and worked as an architect before deciding that her future lay in shoes. Having studied and re-trained in footwear design at the renowned Cordwainers at the London College of Fashion, Souraya spent a couple of years honing her skills before starting the Esska marque out of the spare bedroom of her East London flat. It was Souraya’s passion for shoes and, in her words, ‘a distinct lack of footwear that is designed for confident women who place equal value on comfort and beauty’ that led her to develop Esska. Souraya’s dream back in 2006 was to make shoes that were feminine, comfortable, and not over designed. Today, this is what defines Esska's style: clean lines, dominant shapes and organic silhouettes, with a bold use of colours. "I believe in inner beauty and the concept of feeling good" says Souraya, "it's the harmony with oneself that makes one look good.” With Souraya’s background in architecture it is unsurprising that the designs are inspired by the urban fabric; from streets, crossings and intersections to buildings and structures. Esska has a clear handwriting: geometry, interlacing and layering. All in a very pure, clean and unique style.