Wedge shoes are the one item that Yasmin Al Mulla believes you should never own. The creative director of modest wear label YNM Dubai, Al Mulla is known for her clean and chic take on modest fashion and also for her own personal collection of elegant and glamorous collection of accessories.

An Emirati designer who believes in having a “minimal luxe take on fashion,” she confesses that shoes are her true love. Her personal Instagram account is a testament that shoes are her pride and joy. Her caption for a recent post in which she’s wearing a pair of Nicholas Kirkwood metallic slides with a Swarovski crystals detail reads, “Utmost favorite combination: minimal attire, and statement footwear.” But there is one type of shoe you will never see on this petite designer’s feet – wedges. “I just cannot stand the way they look and feel. Wedges can destroy a whole look,” she says emphatically.  

Creative director Yasmin Al Mulla
Creative director Yasmin Al Mulla

Al Mulla stopped counting her own shoe collection after 100 pairs and says she could never choose a favorite as she loves every pair she owns. “Your shoes can flair your entire outfit. Go for a statement pair if your outfit is minimal. And settle for a minimal one if you’re pulling off an edgy dress.” The shoeaholic suggests that when attending an outdoor function like a wedding, you should opt for flats or sandals with block heels – and not wedges. “Your outfit can tell your story, the way you dress can deliver a strong message and expressing yourself through your final look is the truest form of self-confidence”.

And while she does enjoy her fashion, she firmly believes that a woman must always follow her style instinct. “My dislike of wedges is a personal preference,” and is the reason she has never owned a pair of wedge-heeled shoes.