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Our Story

It all started with....

CIPELA | Cipela by Hidayah Hassan

Established in 2011, Cipela is a shoe design house that produces beautifully premium handcrafted footwear from Malaysia, with clientele from around the world. They are designed with aesthetic and comfort in mind for everyday, work, evening, bridal wear and exquisite bespoke designs. Cipela showcases the best of Malaysian craftsmanship and unique textiles while maintaining traditional design sensibilities as well as use of classic materials. Cipela's charm lies in its clever use of fabrics and designs to highlight distinctive textures and patterns in local textile arts, creating a look that is altogether relaxed, effortlessly luxurious and uniquely stylish.

Who is she?

Cipela, “shoes” in Bosnian are made from leather, with leather lining and insoles. Cipela challenges expectations of what a handcrafted Malaysian shoe brand can and should be - striking a balance between bold and dramatic style with a local twist! She is curated for the local community and she’s all about embracing and uplifting the heritage and the local artisans.Cipela revolves around inspiring, empowering and enabling others to dare to live fearlessly and with purpose and we want the way our shoes are worn to reflect that. 

Her DNA? A few things. First, comfort and durability. She is comfortable, wearable and reliable like its signature stack heels. Cipela is made of premium leather therefore the shoes snug comfortably to your feet and gives that ultimate comfort, long-lasting wear. Second, bold and dramatic. Cipela offers a burst of splashing vibrant colours and drama elements like bows and blings. All the shoes come with a distinctive twist. Third, luxury. She’s made of handpicked premium leather and high-quality fabrics. Her choice of leather lining and sole units lend herself to the demands of a modern lifestyle. Fourth, well made. Excellent workmanship by the local crafters; from the pattern makers to the cutters to the seamstress. The attention given to each shoe at every step of the process is apparent in the finished product. These artisans have grown together with Cipela eversince and ensure the footwear is crafted to the highest standard and made with love! Lastly, versatile. These Malaysian made shoes are the new classics where the staples like ballerinas and pumps are given a style uplift. Cipela can bring you all day long effortlessly!

Cipela Shoes can be distinctly recognized from its 4 different collections; Cipela Everyday, Cipela Bridal, Cipela Evening and Cipela Capsule. 

The brand started with Cipela Everyday; an all about leather minimalist range for everyday wear that marries practicality and beauty (leather pumps and court shoes in leather lining, inner leather etc) and later improvised with a fancy twist e.g. glitter on heels.

Then the brand evolved into other collections; Cipela Bridal (bridal heels in romantic colours and pretty details), Cipela Evening (bold hues in contemporary styles with luxury material and dramatic element like embellishments and bows) and Cipela Capsule (an exclusive, one-of-a-kind limited collection e.g. Cipela Outré; a collection for edgy, fashion- forward and adventurous women and Cipela A Temporary Twist on Heritage; a collection with Batik and Songket element). 

Apart from that, Cipela also offers the BESPOKE collection; an exquisite custom-made design where customers can customize shoes according to its preference (height, embellishment, etc).

The Journey…

A trained accountant by profession, Hidayah Hassan, Founder and Shoemaker of Cipela has always loved luxury craftsmanship shoes and appreciates handcrafted goods. She was exposed to manufacturers in Bosnia Herzegovina as she grew up in Bosnia and her curiosity on craftsmanship grew along the way and led her to her first taste of business in Malaysia; trading modest female fashion and footwear Merrack & Co, and eventually, Cipela. She brings together both her experience abroad and innate Malaysian sensibilities to create fashion at international quality standards with a distinctly local flavour.

Hidayah’s shoe journey started with a dream from her bedroom and a sketchbook. Hidayah struggles to find Malaysian-made everyday shoes that are aesthetically beautiful and luxury, long lasting and comfortable in her size. Knowing that other women also faced the same problem, she decided to explore custom design shoes. Hidayah scouted for local shoe crafters that can fulfil her specs and needs and with a team of creatives, she turned her dream into reality- Cipela, a premium handcrafted made in Malaysia footwear.

She initially sold the shoes at bazaars, trade fairs, private events and on social media before opening an outlet in Wangsa Melawati. Since launching in 2011, Cipela has received recognition, selling to Asian countries, Turkey and Europe and organized trunk shows in East Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei. Cipela has graced editorial features, collaborated with local designers, personalities and retails namely Innaired, Kim Raymond, Isetan Malaysia and Monroe of Pakistan and currently has yearly exclusive collaboration with local brand Sereni & Shentel. All these have positioned Cipela as a leading handcrafted footwear label in Malaysia.

In 2014, she won her first ever award, the Superb Teraju BizPitch business grant which allowed her to expand the business and moved her store to Bangsar Shopping Centre. Other recognitions include Winner of BEE Awards (Broadband Empowered Entrepreneur 2014), Guest Speaker at InvestSmart by Securities Commission, Malaysia (2014), 60 Inspirational Women NONA (2015), Young Iconic Women 2015 (Entrepreneur Category), Guest Speaker at World Islamic Economic Forum Foundation 2016 (Building Resilience for Equitable Growth), BOSS Awards Malaysia (2016), Guest Speaker at Menteri Besar Selangor Incorporated (2016) and TOP 10 Malaysia Shoe Designer.

Hidayah’s envision is to dress corporate women who want to inject some fun factor in their conventional outfit. They’re accomplished, self-driven, confident and fearless women who want to conquer the world and empower others. They’re women who appreciate handcrafted, high quality craftsmanship footwear, exclusivity and desire to feel and look good. 

Moving forward, Cipela’s vision is to provide premium service and be the maestro of shoes, to design exclusive and limited-edition shoes, to groom more crafters and to continue building community.