Bianca Georgescu, Tiny Toes: A Freedom Lived Through ART

Bianca Georgescu ventured into entrepreneurship while still in college, when she began, without realizing it, to gradually build, brick by brick, a business in the footwear production and design area that now bears her name. During the pandemic, she decided to scale up her existing business and introduce a line of barefoot shoes for children, thus creating the Tiny Toes business, which she aims to expand throughout Europe.

C&B: Describe your activity!

Bianca Georgescu: My activity is based on footwear production, ranging from women’s models with artistic concepts and various technical innovations to barefoot shoe production for children. Although I now collaborate with workshops handling the production process, until recently, I was responsible for most tasks, from cutting, pattern and laser making to sewing and finishing the products.

C&B: What is the story of your evolution?

Bianca Georgescu: My story with art begins in childhood, but with music. I studied piano intensively for 8 years in elementary and high school at the Music High School in Brașov, then I switched to a high school specializing in natural sciences. At the same time, I enrolled in courses at the Popular School of Art in Brașov, where I had my first contact with fashion, which fascinated me, offering the freedom to realize any fantasy I had. I then chose to study at the University of Arts in Bucharest, fashion section, where I honed my artistic sense and fashion knowledge.

The field of footwear came quite unexpectedly: sent for an internship at a bag workshop during college, I received a recommendation as a footwear designer at a fairly well-known factory at that time. Although I had no clue about it, I accepted. I still remember the excitement I felt when I saw the first pair of shoes finished after one of my sketches, and from there on, all my attention was focused on learning as much as possible about this field. I did various internships in footwear workshops, bought a sewing machine, and worked daily on various ideas and collections.

C&B: What were your visions in childhood/adolescence and what are they now?

Bianca Georgescu: Of course, my vision has changed as I matured: if in adolescence I dreamed of fame and wealth, now I find happiness in simple and small things that I consider invaluable: a beautiful day on an empty beach, an early morning walk in the deserted city, true love, a beautiful family, health, the freedom to live as you want, a trip to a new place and the excitement of discovering its stories, etc.

C&B: What are the life and work principles you follow?

Bianca Georgescu: I always try to see things from the other person’s perspective, both in life and in my work: I try to understand people regardless of their way of thinking and principles because we are different, and often we forget to listen to each other; we just want to impose our opinions. In my work, I imagine that I’m making each product for myself. This prevents me from compromising on quality. I put my heart into every pair I make, participate in its production, personally package it, and believe that the love put into this entire process reaches the customer, offering them joy at the sight of the quality and beauty of the product. Also, I am an optimistic person and generally see the glass as half full; one of my principles is “every kick in the butt is a step forward.” I think this is one of my qualities because it helps me live in the present and appreciate my luck to lead a peaceful and beautiful life. Another valuable principle for me is “serendipity” – enjoy the journey, don’t wait for the destination. It’s another principle that helps me enjoy every experience I have on the way to achieving my goals. I dream that at some point, I will be able to let the business run without me and live in various parts of the world, cross the ocean by boat, get to know as many cultures as possible, live as freely and far from the daily routine in which we often lead our lives. Until then, I enjoy the journey, the pleasure of creating new ideas and products that bring comfort and satisfaction to people.

C&B: Have economic crises, pandemics, and wars influenced your activity?

Bianca Georgescu: The first crisis I encountered in my activity was the pandemic, during which operations were suspended. I was very impressed because during this period, there was a wave of orders from my loyal clients, and I felt their support through this, resuming my activity in full once the restrictions were lifted.

The good part was that during this time, I had the opportunity to work on children’s shoe designs and launch the “Tiny Toes” brand in the summer of the same year. In my field, there is already an annual fluctuation; in certain months, sales are weak, depending on holidays and seasons, and economic crises bring a decrease in the number of orders, especially for evening footwear.

The first things people economize on are non-essential products, so I shifted focus to producing something essential: children’s footwear because babies are born all the time, little feet grow fast, and they need updates frequently, and generally, parents sacrifice their own purchases for the sake of their children.

C&B: Can you share amusing situations from your activity? What about critical situations?

Bianca Georgescu: I worked at a shoe workshop in Bucharest that made custom products for celebrities, so I had contact with a wide range of personalities. One day, a young lady, a TV presenter, quite well-known, came to pick up her long boots, with many straps, custom-made to her measurements. Delighted with them, she wanted to show us all her recent acquisitions, namely her newly remodeled breasts in Turkey. So, the lady was parading around the workshop wearing only boots and silicone breasts, while various elderly gentlemen, visibly embarrassed by the scene, tried to hide their noses in their work, pretending to be very focused. At one point, she decided she wanted to send a picture to her boyfriend with her new boots and breasts, so she lay down on the showroom couch and asked me to take a sensual photo of her. It was funny.

Critical situations for me are all major deliveries, all urgent orders because they depend on production and the factory, and often I end up spending nights packaging and preparing parcels to meet deadlines.

C&B: You have a potential client/partner or employer in front of you. What’s the phrase you use to convince them?

Bianca Georgescu: The quality of our work is what represents us and is our business card.

C&B: What advice do you have for those starting out or undecided?

Bianca Georgescu: I would advise them to try as many activities and fields as possible until they discover their passion because it’s priceless to do what you love, to turn your hobby into a job. We spend a lot of hours of our lives working for money. Do everything possible, at the right time, to find your true calling; and often you can only find it by searching, practicing in various fields, exploring, not just through ideas: serendipity & work!

C&B: What is your opinion about today’s society, and what is its role?

Bianca Georgescu: Today’s society is complex and diverse, and its role varies depending on perspectives and values. Although far from being an ideal society, I believe we live in relatively good times. We have freedom, unlike our parents; we have the right to education, expression, progress, and a decent life. I think there is a general lack of respect for nature, which results in consumerism, pollution, etc. I would very much like to live in times when our society is organized by educated politicians with good intentions, uncorrupted, and with a few basic principles, we could all live in harmony with ourselves and with nature.