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South Medford grad's classic, exotic shoe designs take her all over the world Comment By Teresa Thomas Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Teresa Thomas Mail Tribune Posted May. 15, 2015 at 2:00 AM Updated May 15, 2015 at 10:09 AM By Teresa Thomas Mail Tribune Posted May. 15, 2015 at 2:00 AM Updated May 15, 2015 at 10:09 AM » RELATED CONTENT • Allysa Payne designs shoes » Social News At a factory in Naples, Italy, Alyssa Payne’s collection of luxury shoes is produced alongside those of Gucci, Prada and Chanel. Each pair of boots, flats and pumps reflect the up-and-coming designer’s creative genius and global tastes, featuring Italian leather, Swarovski crystals, exotic python and crocodile, and Corsican coral and pearls. Payne, who hails from Southern Oregon, fondly refers to her shoes as her “babies” and “little works of art,” while marketing them as “classic shoes with an exotic twist.” For the last decade, Payne has practiced cosmetology — first in Southern Oregon and now in Portland — while saving money, honing her business skills, researching the shoe industry, networking with international manufacturers and suppliers, and building her portfolio. It’s been two years since her first shoe — the gold, pointed-toe Murjanah — was produced, and she launched her first line — the Arabian Dream Collection — late last year in Milan, Italy. She's been hosting trunk shows ever since, and some of her shoes are now being sold at Presage, a boutique for luxury apparel in Palm Desert, Calif. “I marched into the store (Presage) with my trunk of 41 shoes, and the owner ended up buying this pair of pink pumps and wearing them to Palm Springs’ fashion week,” Payne said. “I don’t want to sound too confident, but I feel like everyone who sees them wants a pair,” she said. Payne also has had conversations with a boutique in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and a luxury retail buyer in Qatar and plans to open a flagship store this fall in Beverly Hills, Calif. The Arabian Dream collection is characterized by rich colors, crystals and flower patterns like those she saw while visiting the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. “I spent a lot of time sitting outside the Dubai mall just watching the women pass by in their burkas,” she said. “I began thinking, the only way they can express themselves in public is by their shoes and handbags. That’s what inspired me to focus on luxury.” Payne said she has about 10 more shoe and purse collections in her head, including the Monaco Collection, which will feature coral and pearls sourced from Corsica. She happened to meet a coral diver from the island while visiting Notre Dame in Marseilles, France, and later visited him and asked him to be her coral and pearl supplier. Payne, a 2002 graduate of South Medford High School, was first inspired to design her own shoes while shopping at a Neiman Marcus in Beverly Hills. “I couldn't find any flats that I wanted to wear, so I thought, ‘I’ll just design my own,’ ” she said. “I had no idea where that would take me.” Payne said she’d always been a doodler, so sketching came naturally. She recalls purchasing scrap leather from stores in Oregon, wrapping it around card stock and hot-gluing on beads and studs purchased from Michaels and other craft stores. Her mom, Jeanie Payne, was her first customer. Now, Payne has about 375 boxes of shoes lining the hallway of her Portland condo, where she lives when she’s not in Italy, the Middle East or visiting her parents in Medford. Her shoes vary in price from $549 for a pair of black suede flats to $1,749 for a stamped, Italian leather boot. “I told my mom that for every shoe that I want but can’t find, I’ll design one,” she said. Which is why she's now brainstorming ideas for a sophisticated rain boot." To view more of her designs, see www.allysapayne.com. Reach education reporter Teresa Thomas at 541-776-4497 or [email protected] . Follow her at www.twitter.com/teresathomas_mt . By Teresa Thomas Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Teresa Thomas Mail Tribune Posted May. 15, 2015 at 2:00 AM Updated May 15, 2015 at 10:09 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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