Ipanema franchise brings quality footwear to Seychelles |30 September 2016

Are you looking for the perfect pair to hit the beach this Regatta weekend? Then look no further as Ipanema brings you footwear with a sense of fashion, a perfect blend of relaxed seaside lifestyle and the sophistication of city glamour.

A new Ipanema shop opened last month in the centre of town to provide Seychellois with this laid-back Brazilian roots inspired design which has been seen on Hollywood celebrities such as Angelina Jolie, Kate Hudson, Ashton Kutcher and so many more.

In an exclusive interview, Marc Belle, co-owner of the shop, told Seychelles NATION all about the Ipanema franchise in Seychelles.

He said his mother Norma Belle, who is also a co-owner, conceived the idea to become the exclusive distributor for Ipanema footwear in Seychelles back in 2009 when she opened a souvenir gift shop at Anse Royale.

“That’s when she came across the Ipanema brand and she’s been selling Ipanema for almost six years now and she also has a shop at La Passe on La Digue,” he said.

They were convinced that there was a demand for these kinds of flip flops and sandals especially with the locals.

“We came up with the idea for the shop in February but we needed a strategic location in town and it took us some time to secure a place at the OJ Mall,” he said.

They do not only have a retail shop but also a distribution network which supplies hotels and souvenir shops around Mahé, Praslin, La Digue and Eden Island.

Ipanema is a mystical beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and therefore this brand is manufactured and designed in Brazil and is distributed across the world.

“This brand is expanding as it tries to get international recognition and one of the competitors to Ipanema is Havaianas,” he said.

Mr Belle described the footwear as very tropical which is ideal for the Seychelles concept being a tropical island and a multi-cultural society.

He said from great feedback received from their customers over the past few years, they have become confident of their product.

“It is the brand which markets itself as there is a demand for this quality of flip flops. It is made of very strong material as the rubber is completely PVC (polyvinyl chloride) so it has a comfortable sole and the strips won’t break that easily,” he said.

His vision is for Ipanema to be a leading brand of flip flops in Seychelles and he hopes to sell products that people will take pride in what they want to wear.

“For people to take pride in something which is good quality and can show off to their friends and family,” he said.

With Ipanema your footwear will never be boring as they have a new catalogue for each season, so they bring in new shoes every three to four weeks.

The prices range between R250 for a flip-flop up to R425 for a pair of sandals.

Mr Belle really wants to get involved in helping fashion move forward in Seychelles therefore to start off he is sponsoring all contestants their slippers for the beachwear part of the Miss Regatta contest taking place tomorrow evening.

Check out the Facebook page Ipanema Seychelles to know more and if you do buy their products do not be shy to post your new flip flops on their page.