Our adventure so far...
We like to make happy shoes and accessories that have a sunshine soul
We want to offer you beautifully handcrafted, light hearted collections that make you smile.
At World Secrets everything is designed using traditional textiles and bright coloured fabrics. The perfect combination of Old and New. Every item has its own story and is one of a kind so no one can have the same thing as you!
We aim to create something different, something you haven’t seen before! We don’t do boring here, and we do not do fast fashion! And this is what our business belief is built on!
It was a love of adventures across the globe and a fascination of colour and fabrics that created World Secrets!
Alice doesn’t have a conventional background to fashion design and despite initially attending Art College; in 2010 she graduated from the Royal Agricultural University and qualified soon after as a Rural Chartered Surveyor. This seemed like the natural career choice, after spending her childhood on the family farm in South Wales and something that sounded (in her words) like a ‘proper’ job! However it soon became obvious that she was not suited to sitting behind a desk or auctioning sheep at market!
”I had some belts made in Morocco…
…that I sent back to sell in my Mum’s gift shop, and they sold straight away. On my travels, I bought other items back as gifts and although the colours and textiles were amazing, they often lacked quality and style because they were made for tourist gifts, not longevity. I was also on a continuous quest to find comfortable, beautiful shoes that were just a little bit different”…
So, in 2012, World Secrets was born – initially an imports business aimed at bringing these ‘best kept secrets’ to customers in the UK, but soon inspired a range of shoes, bags and interiors designed by Alice herself. Now everything is designed in house in Devon and made by her trusted team in Turkey.
Handmade from antique Turkish Kilim rugs and rainbow Ikat Silks, Alice likes to dream in colour. Due to the nature of these fabrics, each pair of shoes and accessory is one of a kind, so you won’t see anyone wearing the same as you and this is what the business belief is built on. Alice works with two family businesses in Turkey made up of artisans and craftsmen whose skills have been passed down through generations and are a trusted part of the World Secrets team.
”They do not just make our shoes and bags for us…
…they educate me on the history of the materials and understanding the production process. Our team in Turkey has become family. I speak to them every day, whether it is about shoes, what’s going on at the moment, or the guys asking whether I can take a Barbour Jacket over to Turkey next time I go… I’m not sure a Barbour is all that practical for the heat, but who am I to argue!!!
The relationship we have with our team is hugely important to me. We share the same belief in quality, craftsmanship and passion about the materials we use.”
World Secrets eventually pushed surveying aside and in May 2019 a studio was built (by Alice, her dad and lots of help), on the farm in Devon, which is now World Secrets HQ. It is definitely not what you expect to find in rural Devon, complete with its Victorian carousel Horse, Rainbow walls, Golden Pineapple lights and Grass Floor…