Core to her philosophy: a beautiful, long-lasting, affordable product

Vanessa Wu, designer for the eponymous brand, has a deeply-rooted respect for comfort

A burgeoning creative streak blossomed while at Lanvin, where Vanessa started out as an assistant product manager, finding out about every angle of an industry that she was passionate about, and learning to master many different aspects. She later went back home to be with her family, who were skilled in shoe sales. It was meant to be a temporary move, but proved to be a revelation.