Our Founders
Our story
Why is footwear always a choice between quality and price? Why can't we have lovable designs in quality materials at a reasonable price? This was the question sisters Myriam and Romy were asking themselves when they launched Maguire in 2017.
Inspired by a new wave of direct-to-consumer women-led brands, Myriam and Romy aimed to disrupt the old way of producing fashion footwear.
This meant designing their own collections, travelling abroad to source manufacturers, being open and transparent about costs and prices, and selling directly to customers through their own website, pop-up stores, and boutiques.
“Our mission is to make high-end products we love available to everyone at fair prices.”
Slowly but surely, word spread and the project grew. In 2019, the girls decided to take on the retail experience, opening their first shoes concept store in Montréal to reinvent the way we shop for and try-on shoes. And in April 2020, they will open a second concept store in Toronto.
In the coming years, they plan to open in more cities, expanding their mission to offer high-end products at a fair price.
Sisters and founders, Myriam (left) and Romy (right) Maguire.
Myriam
Founder and Designer
From a young age, Myriam always wanted to design shoes. After completing a degree in Industrial Design at the University of Montréal, she travelled to London for her Footwear Diploma at the prestigious Cordwainer's at London College of Fashion, then to Italy for a residence at Fabrica, the United Colors of Benetton research centre.
Following her studies she joined the Aldo Group in Montréal as a designer, where over five years she would develop over 3000 pairs of shoes, many of which consistently found themselves amongst the international chain's best sellers. She also spent time at Pajar and private label wholesaler Black Suede Studio. Over the course of her employments, she has delivered private label collections for Target, Tesco, Opening Ceremony, Kohls, Winners, L'Aubainerie, Simons, and Matt&Natt.
Travelling regularly to Asia, Europe, and the United States to study
the market and oversee production, she has garnered a unique and comprehensive end-to-end understanding of the footwear supply chain.
Beginning in the summer of 2016, Myriam committed full-time to the entrepreneurial adventure with Maguire Boutique.
Romy
Strategy and Marketing
Romy always loved to try new things, and found herself in a sector where she could do just that: communications. A veritable generalist with
an integrated approach to communications and marketing, Romy has accumulated experience from both a strategic management perspective and on the production floor.
After four years in the Arts and Culture industry, Romy crossed into advertising by joining A2C, an industry association that saw her rub shoulders with all the most influential communications agencies in Québec. This experience grants her valuable insight into the challenges faced by large enterprises staying on top of communication and marketing trends.
In 2016, inspired by its mission and desire to do things differently, Romy decided to cast her lot in with her sister in the building of Maguire.