Since she was crowned Miss Universe Australia in 2020 and packed her bags to head off to Las Vegas to represent her country at the international competition, Maria Thattil has been representing people who don’t fit the mould.
WATCH: Maria Thattil comes out on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!
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Being told she was “too short” to model or “not Australian” enough to represent Down Under thanks to her Indian heritage didn’t stop Maria from placing in the Top Ten of Miss Universe and she hasn’t let anything get in her way since.
Stepping into new terrain hasn’t proved to be an issue for the 31-year-old who has since launched successful careers as a media commentator, activist and author. And later this year, Maria will also be headed to Ramsey Street as she takes on the role of Amira Devkar on Neighbours.
But before then, she is putting her best foot forward with her recently released capsule collection with with well-known footwear brand, Novo shoes.
The vegan collection of heels, boots and mules reflects her ethos of self-expression, boundary-breaking and being unapologetically individual.
“This line of shoes is for absolutely everybody because fashion should be for absolutely everyone,” Maria tells WHO.
“It’s not for a particular person, or gender or age group, because no matter where you sit, everyone should be able to express themselves through what they wear.”
Maria reveals she is incredibly hands-on during every step of the design and marketing process including in helping to select the colour palette, which focuses on neutrals such as black, cream and tonal browns.
“The colours were particularly important to me because as a darker-skinned person, I could never find a brown show that would suit me,” she says. “There is a stiletto in a gorgeous bronze that looks incredible on deeper skin tones.”
The shoes carry empowering names like bravery, purpose, rebellion, joy and power. They are a very deliberate choice.
“When I was little, my dad used to tell me I needed to leave my footprint on the world,” she explains. “These are all the qualities I knew I needed to have to do so.”
Here are Maria’s top picks from her collection;
To wear with anything
Maria has designed the Rebellion boot to be worn with literally anything and everything.
“I wore a corset and a see-through dress to the launch with the boots but it also looks really good with denim or a little skirt,” she explains.
“If you pair it with something unexpected, it’s a really edgy look.”
The Elevate Your Outfit shoe
Maria says the Power shoe is really “understated but chic” which can dress up any look.
It is the perfect shoe to go from day to night, nail that job interview or impress your partner’s parents.
The brunch shoe
Joy has been created for all the “lazy” peeps, who quickly want to slip something on that will add an instant bit of glam to their more casual outfit, such as meeting friends for a relaxed weekend brunch.
“It instantly helps you look cool and fashionable,” says Maria.
The out-on-the-town shoe
Whether it’s date night or hitting the clubs with your BFFs, the shoe to do it in is the Purpose.
“It comes in a beautiful black with gorgeous gold accents or my favorite bronze tone that suits everyone.
“It’s perfect for weddings and special events but if you want to wear it with jeans and a blazer, it’ll dress up that outfit enough to go out too.
The casual shoe
The Bravery slide is the pair you’ll want to live in all weekend.
Designed to just slip on and off, it’s perfect for ducking out the front for a minute, popping out to the shops or spending an afternoon at the beach.
Shop Maria’s collection with Novo shoes here.
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