Leila Tamar Kerze

Leila Tamar Kerzeis launching a luxury footwear line through her Krže Studio (pronounced kâr′zhĕ, the traditional spelling of her last name).  Leila was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. She attained her bachelor’s degree from Loyola Marymount University in English and creative writing. She went on to get her advanced degree in footwear design from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising with the intention of developing a brand that would offer vegan footwear without compromising quality or style. While at FIDM she gained recognition, winning the WSA Scholarship in Spring 2009 for her teen footwear design and the Donald J Pliner footwear design contest of 2009. She was a finalist for Brown Shoe’s design contest as well as the Ruby Slipper Contest of 2009. Leila also designed and styled footwear for director Stephen Wozniak’s music video “WISH U LOVE” by the artist Fawn. She has worked for BCBGMaxAzria, gaining experience in designing for every tier of fashion, from mass-market, to bridge, to high-end and runway collections. Most recently she worked with Donald J Pliner. It was with Pliner, which focuses on luxury and bridge contemporary footwear, that she learned the importance of high craftsmanship and making sure every shoe fits and is balanced correctly so the foot is always supported comfortably. While with Pliner, she lived in Florence, Italy, getting a hands-on education by working in the studio and factories every day, there and in Spain. While attending material tradeshows and creating relationships with different suppliers, Leila learned about the exciting advancements that have developed in materials over recent years; there are now vegan leathers available in the market that are superior in quality to their animal based counterparts. Through her awareness of high end vegan materials that now surpass older methods, and her experience and relationships built through working with amazing people across the globe, Leila recognizes that right now is the time and place for her vision to be put into action. The Krže Studio collection debut is targeted for Fall 2013.

We formed a California corporation for Leila.