8 min.
1.4.2024
Customers should experience transparency when shopping with us
Text
Casper Hindse
Photo:
Marie Hald
After Frederikke Antonie Schmidt finished her education in Italy and worked her way through one luxury brand after another, she walked home to Copenhagen with an idea to create comfortable high heels from surplus materials. In 2014, Roccamore was launched through a successful Kickstarter campaign, and the brand has since grown with a focus on transparency and quality. Roccamore quickly became the world's first certified high-heel brand.
I truly believe that if your value chain is in order, you have a future.
ABOUT ROCCAMORE
- Frederikke Antonie Schmidt was born in 1983.
- Educated as a footwear designer from TEKO in Herning and the Polimoda Institute of Design in Florence. She also holds a Professional Bachelor's degree in Brand Design from KEA.
- Founder and Creative Director of Roccamore since 2014. Today, the company generates millions in revenue.
- Former partner in the Ladies First network and has, among other things, been an advocate for including innovation in the school curriculum.
- Lives in Copenhagen with her Italian husband.
Transparency through QR codes
For Frederikke Antonie Schmidt, transparency is about showing how products are made. That is why 30 percent of Roccamore's products feature QR codes that give customers insight into the entire production chain – from the Scandinavian cowhide to the finished product. Every step in the production process, from tanning in Denmark to craftsmanship in Italy, is traceable, ensuring that sustainability does not just become a buzzword.
– The coolest companies are the ones that are transparent... If you dare to be that, it means you have your shit together, says Frederikke Antonie Schmidt.
Even though only a few QR codes are scanned, Roccamore insists on traceability – while simultaneously educating customers on the value of sustainable production.
For Frederikke Antonie Schmidt, transparency is about showing how products are made. That is why 30 percent of Roccamore's products feature QR codes that give customers insight into the entire production chain – from the Scandinavian cowhide to the finished product. Every step in the production process, from tanning in Denmark to craftsmanship in Italy, is traceable, ensuring that sustainability does not just become a buzzword.
– The coolest companies are the ones that are transparent... If you dare to be that, it means you have your shit together, says Frederikke Antonie Schmidt.
Even though only a few QR codes are scanned, Roccamore insists on traceability – while simultaneously educating customers on the value of sustainable production.
A five-step process
What Roccamore does is break its production down into five simple stages and open up the process to those who are interested. It all starts with cowhide from Scandinavia, where each cow can be traced back to its origin. Then, the leather is tanned in Denmark with a focus on reducing CO2 emissions. In Germany, the leather is further refined, where natural imperfections like stretch marks are preserved to highlight its authenticity. Finally, the shoes are handmade in Italy, where details and comfort receive full attention.
GS1'S ROLE
Roccamore uses GTINs for its products, and together with the company's other transparency initiatives, they are already prepared with a significant portion of the data that will be required for the upcoming Digital Product Passport.
GS1 works both globally and regionally on the standardization of Digital Product Passports (with GTIN as a core identifier, among others), so that companies like Roccamore can be transparent in a standardized way in the future.
For customers and the world
At Roccamore, it’s not just about shoes – it’s also about responsibility. Frederikke Antonie Schmidt emphasizes that even though sustainable production is more expensive, it is a necessary investment.
– … you have to educate buyers that quality goods cost what they cost. The world doesn't need more products, but rather good products that take themselves and others seriously.
Roccamore engages its customers through the ‘Shoelovers Club,’ where feedback and close contact strengthen the community around the brand. Schmidt sees the future as a time when companies must prove their responsibility, and she believes that the EU’s upcoming sustainability requirements will only strengthen their position.
– Hand-stitched shoes from Danish cows, shaped in Italy over six months, and where quality and human rights have been upheld, is the closest we can get to the best vision for apparel, she concludes.
I truly believe that if your value chain is in order, you have a future.
ABOUT ROCCAMORE
- Frederikke Antonie Schmidt was born in 1983.
- Educated as a footwear designer from TEKO in Herning and the Polimoda Institute of Design in Florence. Additionally, she holds a Bachelor’s degree in Brand Design from KEA.
- Founder and Creative Director of Roccamore since 2014. Today, the company has a multi-million turnover.
- Former partner in the Ladies First network and has, among other things, been an advocate for including innovation in the school curriculum.
- Lives in Copenhagen with her Italian husband.
