This Canadian Collector Has Amassed 250 Pairs Of Designer Heels

Shirley Ibe has not adopted her father’s recommendation. “His mindset was at all times high quality over amount,” the make-up artist shares of her dad’s purchasing mantra. However with round 250 pairs of designer heels (just lately decreased from 400 after a closet cleanout), she says she’s chosen each. “I’ve positively gone to the intense when it comes to amount,” she laughs.

Rising up in Canada, Libya and Malaysia, Ibe at all times liked stunning issues. The collector credit her mother and father with cultivating her passions, whether or not they took the type of cosmetics or clothes. “I grew up in a family the place look was necessary,” she reveals. “My mother was a type of ladies who at all times seemed put collectively, and I by no means, ever noticed my dad in denims.”

Whereas Ibe’s preliminary infatuation with designer excessive heels got here from her household, it wasn’t till college that her adoration grew to become a full-on obsession. “My girlfriends and I used to exit on a regular basis in matching outfits,” she says. “We began getting acknowledged for our trend, in order that’s after I actually started to construct my shoe assortment.” As a pupil, Ibe began her assortment with extra wallet-friendly wares, however every little thing modified as soon as her late father launched her to the world of designer footwear. “I don’t know what sparked it, however on a Christmas trip in Florida in 2004, he determined to purchase me, my sister and my mother every one thing designer,” recounts Ibe. In what she describes as a 21-year-old’s dream, her dad took her to Dior, the place she selected her very first pair of luxurious sandals.

Now housed in a walk-in wardrobe in her house in Calgary, her assortment has grown to incorporate a sweet land of colors and model names and options luxurious labels resembling Chanel, Gucci, Manolo Blahnik, Saint Laurent and Versace. With so many kinds to select from, Ibe tends to decorate herself from the underside up. “I take into consideration what outfit I can put on with sure sneakers versus what sneakers I can put on with a particular outfit,” she notes.

Citing Rihanna as her trend inspiration, the collector describes her personal aesthetic as “vibrant, eclectic and enjoyable” and says she seeks out sneakers that match those self same standards. Persevering with with this more-is-more mentality, Ibe loves a sky-high heel. Amongst her tallest are a pair of Christian Louboutin “Equestria” platform boots with a 16-centimetre heel. “I’ve by no means struggled strolling in platforms,” she shares. “I’ve at all times discovered them snug.” That mentioned, the aficionado additionally admits she’s by no means been one to present in to defeat. “Heels are a dedication,” she says. “If I’m going to put on them, then I’m gonna put on them. I don’t care how my ft will really feel.

Regardless of sometimes feeling responsible about her huge stash of designer heels, Ibe isn’t ashamed of shopping for issues that convey her pleasure. “Some days I feel to myself ‘Man, you will have a number of sneakers,’” she displays. “However they’re an artwork type. I really admire the craftsmanship and design behind them.” She typically finds herself simply standing in her closet, basking in all of her assortment’s glory. “My mother at all times advised me that heels raise you up each bodily and mentally, and she or he was proper,” says Ibe. “The facility of a heel is that it could possibly make you’re feeling sexier and extra assured. The transformation is on the spot.”

Click on via the gallery beneath to see extra of Ibe’s assortment of designer heels.

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY JAY CHROHM

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JAY CHROHM

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JAY CHROHM

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JAY CHROHM

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JAY CHROHM

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JAY CHROHM

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JAY CHROHM