Inside GSS
Hiya!! Thanks for stopping by the website and giving time to my work :) My name is Onnika and I've probably popped up on your explore page as the crazy hand painting shoe lady!! I’m an artist from Canada currently living in London UK. I’ve always painted, but I picked it back up again through lockdown when it was one of my only “escapes”. I’ve always had a love for fashion so I was inspired to come up with a way to combined the two! Being able to explore my passion for creative directing, photography and set design has been such a blast. If you’d like to keep up with our shoots and just general behind the scenes follow the Instagram : @girlscoutshoes 💜 We like to have fun over there!!! Also to keep up to date on my drops, restocks and when I’m in a good mood maybe even a giveaway or two;)
I love getting to express myself every day through my art and it’s had such a positive affect on my mental health. I’m so thankful for all the support and opportunities I’ve received!
My team is comprised of fellow bold women who also believe in wearing WHAT you want WHEN you want! Life is too short to give a f* about what people think ⭐️
INFORMATION ON GIRLSCOUT SHOES:
Originally I wasn’t planning on marketing my art as a “company”, they were meant to just be one off pieces that you could buy! “Girlscoutshoes” was actually supposed to be my name as an artist, some sort of alter ego my bold designs were generated from. However as GSS grows, there are wayyy more than a few people who want to get their hands on a specific piece! (which I couldn’t be more excited about) So I now offer “Order to fit” (order in your particular size) shoes.
As my audience and demand grows, so do the questions about my pieces and where they sit on the sustainability meter. Sustainable fashion is something I’m very passionate about and now as a “brand” (still don’t feel like one) is something I’m conscious of while making decisions for GSS.
All of my one of a kind pieces and entire accessory line are upcycled, thrifted pieces I’ve sourced from around the UK! I always make sure their condition is practically new with little to no damage. All production items/clothing used in our photoshoots are sourced from local charity shops and we have a blast painting & stoning away at vintage items for our sets! So far our only apparel is our crochet tops, which are hand made by my assistant Minnie in our studio based in West London. I also use all recyclable & eco friendly packaging to get your groovy shoes to ya! Something I’m also passionate about it my up cycling projects :) Feel free to check out my “CUSTOM SHOE” highlight on Instagram for all the information. But to sum up quickly - if you send me a pair of your old borin’ shoes, I can flip them into your boldest dreams! At a discounted rate as well, let’s use and use our clothes until we can’t anymoreeeee!! Also no shoes on my website are real leather, I only work on vegan and synthetic leathers. (Excepts for my up cycling projects / commissions)
For full transparency, I do buy new shoes for my “Order to fit” shoe options, which all come from what would be considered “fast fashion companies”. Firstly I get them new, in order for multiple people to be able to order that specific piece in their size. It’s also a very hard task to find an independent ethical shoe company that won’t drive my prices up the wall! I want to keep my art as accessible and affordable as I can, while also doing my best at being friendly to our planet. With my “Order to fit” shoes, I only place my order once you have placed yours, to eliminate waste or over stock.
My ultimate dream is to be able to design and manufacture my own shoes. Be in the process all the way from point A to B, and make sure every part of the shoe is coming from an ethical place.
DURABILITY:
I also get a ton of questions relating to the materials I use and the overall durability of my designs.
I first begin with my shoe and paint primer, which helps the paint cling to the shoes. The paint I use is made specifically for leathers of all sorts and therefore molds to the shoe material very well. After I’ve finished the 4-5 coats of shoe paint, I apply two coats of finisher to the design. ALL products are water resilient and used from the same brand to ensure they work together at full potential, for longer lasting shoes! Finally I spray a water repellent which protects from rain damage, dirt and other stains. Check out my tik tok (@Girlscoutshoes) for a cute demo on how water just beads and falls right off the boots!
Hope I answered the questions I get most frequently! But if you have any more questions or just general enquires regarding the shoes, commission pieces, etc. , kindly pop me an email at girlscoutshoes@gmail.com 🧚🏽♀️✨