While diamonds may be a girl’s best friend, a Pleasley designer is helping people to have shoes that are the real gems.

And the work of Sarah Lee, who is one of only a handful of people in the UK to embellish and paint shoes for special occasions, is getting noticed around the world, with enquiries coming from as far afield as Texas, USA.

Sarah launched Anara Designs with the assistance of her mum, Angie Young, fitting in her client work around working for an employer.

Sarah’s artistry and creativity is now gaining attraction from buyers around the UK, and even from potential clients in the US.

Sarah said: “I have always been creative in some form or another, but my passion for design started as a child, when I dreamed of creating stunning ball gowns, wedding dresses and all the beautiful sparkles that went along with it.

“When I eventually got to art college and took my first jewellery class, my love of creating with gems was truly realised. After leaving college, I went on to become a wedding photographer, but my passion for jewellery and craft never left me, although it remained a hobby.

“When, for personal reasons, we had to stop taking bookings as wedding photographers, it gave me a perfect opportunity to turn my love of this craft from a hobby into a career and thus Anara Designs emerged.”

Sarah prides herself on creating luxury, elegant, one-of-a-kind designs for any special occasion, taking the time to understand a client’s individual requirements.

People can visit the studio in Jacksdale by appointment, where they can discuss requirements and
Sarah will draw sketches of what finished designs would look like. Sarah designs other accessories too, such as silk flowers, bags, gifts, bracelets, necklaces and cufflinks.

And while Anara Designs can embellish or paint on almost any shoe, Sarah has also created her own range of shoes, which she has had specially made.

She said: “Another love of mine, like with most women, is shoes — and more than anything different shoes. So when I started Anara I couldn’t wait to create a very individual shoe range.

“I started hand-embellishing the shoes with lace and crystal, which made beautiful bridal shoes that could be totally personalised to match the dress. But I wanted to get more creative, so I started the hand-painted shoe range, which is creative and totally different.”

For more information about Anara Designs, visit www.anaradesigns.co.uk