Hello, I'm Dashiani Navanagam and welcome to the conversation from the BBC World Service.
This is the programme that allows us to hear the insights,
experiences and wisdom from two incredible women from around the world who are doing extraordinary things.
Today,
my guests are two women who started their careers in vastly different directions but who both migrated to designing and manufacturing shoes with a difference.
Anita Sounder is in India and started professional life as a chemical engineer,
before studying footwear design to come up with unique and quirky shoes that are made from plant-based materials like tomato and banana skins.
Her award-winning shoes have featured in high-fashion magazines like Elle.
And Reem Hamed is Egyptian and trained in interior design and architect design before turning to shoemaking.
Her footwear is made almost exclusively for women and is handcrafted and embroidered by artisanal Egyptian women.
Anita and Reem, a very warm welcome to the conversation.
Hello.
Hello.
Thank you for having us.
Sunita,
you trained as a chemical engineer so in something completely different and you initially worked as an environmental engineer and then you worked in your father's small factory which made mixers and grinding machines.
So where did this desire to manufacture and design your own shoes come from?
I think I was actually a creative always but India is a very conservative country I'm talking about 40 years back I'm 43 even
if the kid is creative the parents tell them you're supposed to be a doctor or an engineer these are the two options we had I actually wanted to be a veterinarian but I became a chemical engineer it was always very intentional
like they wanted me to look after their business so they said just do that but I think universe has its own way to connect things.