DUBAI: Jordanian-Romanian footwear designer Amina Muaddi has said she is “so humbled” to have landed a spot on Women’s Wear Daily (WWD) and Footwear News’s 50 Most Powerful Women list.
The inaugural list collated by the two renowned fashion publications celebrates the achievements of women in the industry who are creating changes from fashion to footwear and beyond.
“I’m so humbled that me and my team are on this list,” wrote the 34-year-old on Instagram, alongside a screenshot of the news. “WWD and FN’s 50 Most Powerful Women! Where I come from, we rarely think dreaming big is possible. Thank you for the honor,” she added.
Other influential women in the list, which is in no particular order, include French businesswoman and Vice President of Louis Vuitton Delphine Arnault, CEO at Style Capital Roberta Benaglia and Pomellato Group CEO Sabina Belli, among others.
The footwear designer was born in Romania to a Jordanian father and Romanian mother. Shortly afterwards, her family relocated to Amman. Her parents split when she was six and she returned to Romania with her mother, where she spent most of her childhood before moving to Italy.
She launched her eponymous footwear line in August 2018, approximately one year after departing from her role as co-founder and creative director of luxury footwear label Oscar Tiye.
Muaddi’s eponymous label’s distinct pumps, sling-backs, mules, boots and sandals in an array of vibrant colors and holographic designs have since garnered a loyal checklist of famous fans, including Dua Lipa, Gigi Hadid, Kylie Jenner and Hailey Bieber Baldwin. Kendall Jenner has also been photographed wearing the brand’s designs on several occasions, including the “Begum” and “Gilda” shoes.
The part-Jordanian also helped design the shoes for Rihanna’s Fenty collection. The collaboration was so successful that it received the Collaborator of the Year award at the 34th edition of the FN Achievement Awards.
In 2020, Muaddi teamed up with rapper ASAP Rocky’s creative agency AWGE on four shoe styles that are a marriage of their personal tastes. The collection is Muaddi’s first-ever collaboration for her own brand.
She also debuted a range of jewelry and handbags in 2020 and collaborated with Austrian brand Wolford on an exclusive 17-piece capsule collection of ready-to-wear looks earlier this year.