Meet the team - Domei

Who is behind the brand?

Claudia Ciudad, co-founder, partner, and creative director of Domei. Costume and textile designer specializing in footwear and sustainable fashion ventures. She holds a postgraduate degree in administration and a diploma in business management and marketing.

2019 after 9 years  Working in a large company, with a good position and where I was well-regarded, I decided to leave my comfort zone and undertake something that made sense and made me feel proud, but above all, something that would have a positive impact. 

With that in mind, the idea of ​​making shoes arose. I immediately called my friend Antonio, an engineer and also the son of a shoemaker, to get his opinion; he loved the idea, and from that moment, Domei was born.

Design and production process

• Each model is designed with timelessness, versatility, and maximum use of denim in mind.
• Mold making and model scaling.
• Manufacturing of pre-finished soles, with a sole heel and rubber insert. Made by a small family business in Santiago, where Alex, along with his father, who taught him the trade, and his sister, dedicate themselves to this work.
• Assembly plants carried out by Maritza and her team (family business) in Santiago.
• Denim collection through social media campaigns, fairs, and bazaars in which we participate.
• Manual disassembly and pasting of denim, a task carried out by Rocío, who works as a home advisor half a day and works with Domei twice a week.
• Buy leather remnants from leather stores or small local suppliers. The leather from the latter comes mainly from brands or companies that have closed.
• Selection of denim and leather for use in each model.
• Claudia (creative director) cuts the models by hand for prototypes, samples, and special orders, and Luis cuts the footwear. He has been a cutter since he was 20, and he does it by hand with a cotter pin. These tasks refer to the complete size range of a model (34 to 41).
• The footwear is sewn by Miguel, a master shoemaker with over 40 years of experience, who hand-stitches each pair.
• The shoe assembly is done by hand by Abel, who worked with Miguel in various shoe factories. He also has over 40 years of experience and currently works from his home-based workshop.
• Once assembled, Claudia removes them and packs each pair, checking if there's anything that needs to be cleaned and preparing them for sale.

Miguel

Abel

Luis