In the world of luxury footwear, the stiletto has long been a symbol of aspiration - and, often, of submission. But Frédérique Picard, president and CEO of the French shoe house Carel, offers a different kind of iconography: the trotter heel, a modest two-inch lift that prioritizes stability over spectacle. For Picard, power is not about towering over others but about standing firmly on one's own terms - a philosophy that has guided her through the Gilets Jaunes protests, the pandemic, and the delicate art of reviving a heritage brand.
Carel, founded in 1952, has always positioned itself as an antidote to the haughty excess of traditional luxury. Its low heel is a quiet manifesto: a shoe for living, not for posing. Picard, who took the helm 16 years ago after a chance encounter at a Louvre cocktail party, has deepened that ethos. Her background - 12 years at L'Oréal, a stint as managing director of Annick Goutal - taught her the perils of corporate rigidity, especially for women. "Having children in an extremely competitive company was not easy," she recalls. At Carel, she has built a company where most leadership roles are held by women, and the average age hovers around 32. It is a structure that values dialogue over decree.
Yet Picard's advice to the next generation is not about lone ambition. "Don't think you can solve everything on your own," she insists. She raised capital from a tight circle of investors - love money, she calls it - and urges women to build networks, attend every event (even the dubious ones), and ask for help. For her, true leadership is not about having the last word but about listening to what people on the ground need - whether that's a raise, a flexible schedule, or simply a shoe that won't betray you in a meeting.
In an era that often conflates power with posture, Picard reminds us that the most radical act is to be unafraid of being yourself. The heel height, after all, is just optics. What matters is the ground you choose to stand on.
Originally reported by WWD