A fresh, young, and trendy brand, which since 2009 has been capably winning over an international public of women, offering every woman the possibility to feel beautiful and fashionable without having to make too many sacrifices. With a background in the world of retail, behind INUOVO is a family-owned company with shoemaking experience that has focused on quality at the right price and in-house styling to arrive in European and non-EU markets. At the January 2022 edition of Expo Riva Schuh, the Turkish company presented its new winter collection and, despite the difficultly of the moment still penalised by the pandemic, its stand was packed with visitors and customers, allowing it to achieve new and satisfying business results. We met up with Ismet Mert Doğaner, Managing Partner, to learn more about the history and future projects of the company.

Can you give us a brief history of the brand?

“INUOVO was born 13 years ago in Istanbul, Turkey, and immediately stood out on the footwear manufacturing panorama for the production of its women’s shoes in genuine leather, including in particular sandals and boots, allowing its production to arrive at 1.2 million pairs per year. Today, our markets of reference are above all Western Europe, the United States, Canada, and in part Russia. Our brand accounts for around 70% of production, while the remaining part is dedicated to private labels. To this day, ours remains a family-owned company, and we believe that this represents one of our main strengths”.

What are the main trends for the coming winter season that we can find in your collection proposed at Riva del Garda?

“We believe that the trend of large volumes will continue, matched with a palette of natural colours, which in any case will also be joined by vibrant pop colours. Important trends also include squared toes and platforms”.

Today, Turkey is one of the footwear manufacturing hubs that is increasingly conquering the international panorama: what do you believe are the reasons for this growth?

“I believe one of the winning factors of the Turkish footwear manufacturing industry is represented by its ‘speed’: it’s quick to answer the market and quick to develop and produce in small quantities. Turkey also claims a privileged geographic position right at the gates of Europe and this makes it easier for it to be fast, while arriving at the end markets of the finished product at a lower cost. At the same time, it’s important to remember the quality of the ‘Made in Turkey’ leather product, which is an expression of a thriving industry that our brand is proud to represent”.

What are the new markets that you are focusing on in particular?

“We began with the launching of INUOVO focusing on the establishment of the brand on the Western European market and the USA, and then in a second moment in Russia, but today we are looking with growing interest to expanding in the markets of Eastern Europe in general”.