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Carmen Steffens

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Address: 14006 Riverside Blvd.
Cross Street: Hazeltine Ave.
Neighborhood: Sherman Oaks
Phone: (818) 784-8408
Website: Carmensteffensusa.com
Type: Shoes, Handbags, Accessories

Plenty of good things come from Brazil, picture-perfect models, the Brazilian bikini wax and now, stylish shoes. Carmen Steffens, a Brazilian-based line of shoes, handbags and accessories brings its one and only location in the United States to southern California. So if you're searching North Robertson Boulevard or browsing through Neiman Marcus, there won't be a single pair of Carmen Steffens heels in sight.

Located at the Fashion Square in Sherman Oaks, the owners of the Carmen Steffens boutique wanted to bring high-end products without super high-end prices (shoes range from $250 to $900) to all women who don't mind turning a few heads.

The aim of Carmen Steffens is simple -- produce high-quality, one-of-a-kind footwear with creative craftsmanship inspired by Brazilian culture. Based in San Paolo, Brazil, each shoe is handcrafted in the headquarters' warehouse and shipped out to more than 140 distributing shops worldwide. The brand even owns its very own leather tannery, Couroquimica--one of the largest in Latin America.

To ensure customers are provided with the most unique footwear, Carmen Steffens houses zero inventory in their factory. Once a style sells out, it's gone for good. So you can bet your new pair of heels won't be on your neighbor, your co-worker or dozens of other women strutting their stuff down the street. Celebrity customers include Eva Longoria-Parker, Mariah Carey and Ali Landry. Besides Eva, both the shoes and the handbags have also been seen on the other Desperate Housewives cast on and off the set.

Since the shoes are the main attraction, the boutique decor is simple, yet extremely necessary for shoe shopping -- white walls with Romanesque moldings, leather couches and full-length mirrors. Customers are treated to espresso and water brought out on little silver trays so they can stay hydrated while trying on shoes 'til their heart's content.
 
Just this past month, the store recently debuted its fall collection -- snakeskin earth tones of browns, greens and golds. The series also includes opened-toe boots, plaid wedges and the Carmen Steffens take on basics like the ever-so simple, classic black pumps.

In addition to the fall line, Carmen Steffens recently launched a new web site so shoppers can browse the collections long after the mall has closed. All in store must-haves can be found online so styles can be stealthily stolen from the comfort of your own home.