As a child, East Tremont native Markisha Marie Williams always loved playing dress-up, especially in high heels. Today, at age 34, she’s living her childhood dream as creator of the shoe brand M. Marie, which has drawn attention from celebrities and fashion publications in NYC and beyond.
M. Marie designs have been featured in Essence, Refinery 29 and Cosmopolitan, and Who What Wear described them as “the type of shoes you want to wear on vacation or for a girls’ night out and believe everyone will ask where you got them.”
The new collection, “Diamonds are Forever” will be released in early March.
“I always knew that shoes is what I wanted to do,” Williams told the Bronx Times, adding that growing up in the borough taught her the confidence to stick with it.
“I come with so much spice, it’s like, ‘hey, I’m here, you’re gonna see me, and I’m not going nowhere.’”
Williams said her bold style has always been a big part of her identity and how others notice her. She described her look as classy, fun and glamorous, especially gravitating towards animal prints and mixed patterns, but said she loves “ugly stuff” too.
“I’m not an aesthetic person. I wear whatever I want and just go.”
In creating her shoe line — all with branded orange metallic insole — Williams always believed people would love her fun, party-ready designs. But launching the brand was a huge challenge at every step, from funding to manufacturing to sales to getting noticed in the competitive fashion market, where Black designers make up only about 5% of the industry, according to Essence.
In the years it took to get M. Marie off the ground, Williams worked as a stylist, bank teller and sous chef and contacted manufacturers for nine years before finding one willing to produce her product.
Finally, she began working with an Italian manufacturer in 2018, but getting her shoes noticed proved difficult as well.
“I didn’t get one sale for like five months,” Williams said. “I wasn’t discouraged. It just was what it was.”
Little by little, M. Marie designs started catching on. Her shoe called “FU Pay Me” was one of the first to sell out, with Williams doing her own deliveries and taking payments via Zelle and Cash App. Then, she released a boot called “Reverse Cowgirl” that sold out “immediately,” she said.
In advance of a July 2021 bodega-themed pop-up shop, “A Girl from the Bronx,” she previewed the “Tulum” heel, with wraparound crystal-studded ankle straps and airy feathers over the toe. It suddenly became her most popular design, with blogs and fashion outlets taking notice.
“I Googled myself, and that’s how I found out I was in Cosmopolitan,” Williams said.
Her pop-up also proved incredibly successful, with some customers even flying from out of state to snag M. Marie shoes. “I was sure of myself, but to see that support, it’s a different level.”
‘I’m actually doing it’
Oddly enough, one of Williams’ big breakthroughs came after another shoe brand stole one of her designs.
The problem started on Instagram, where Williams said she sometimes drops sketches of upcoming designs.
“I think it’s fun for people to see the process. Especially with me being a young Black woman, I want people to see the steps I take,” she said.
However, Williams’ show of creativity turned sour when a major brand, worn by celebrities such as Eva Longoria and Jennifer Lopez, viewed the sketch posted to her Instagram story and released a basically identical shoe not long after.
Williams called out the brand on Instagram, and many rushed to her defense, including the popular fashion account, Diet Prada, which has well over three million followers.
“A lot of celebrities and customers came to my page from that,” Williams said. Within two weeks, she had to hire public relations staff to help her manage her brand’s presence on social media and in the news. “It happened to be a gift and a curse.”
As a Black woman, Williams said she’s accustomed to the challenges of “not being able to fit into what society wants me to fit into.” Obtaining funding is hard when many may not believe in the success of her business, Williams said.
But being a Bronx-based entrepreneur has enabled her to build a strong base of community support and repeat customers who love her glamorous creations and want to snap up every new release.
“I got people who show up for me. I got people who fight for me,” she said.
“I get to wake up and do what I love. I wanted to do this as a kid, and I’m actually doing it.”
Reach Emily Swanson at eswanson@schnepsmedia.com or (646) 717-0015. For more coverage, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram!
