BUS STOP

Bio

Meet Elena! Elena was born in London and moved to Philadelphia when she was 26 years old for love. Even though she’s divorced she decided to make the states her home. Her parents are Greek-Cypriot so she feels that in her heart she has three homes – England, Cyprus and America. 

Elena began her career in advertising, but after 27 years she was ready to part with her corporate job. She is now a proud award-winning shoe designer and Founder of BUS STOP shoe boutique. And she loves what she does, to boot!

Origin Story

In 2007, after 27+ years in the world of advertising, Elena left her corporate job at the age of 48 to open her own business. “It felt very liberating to do so as a single mother on my son’s 18th birthday!”

You may ask how did Elena end up in the shoe industry? Even though Elena does not have any experience in fashion or design, all her life she was surrounded by the fashion industry. She would attend the fashion runway shows at Central St Martins University in London, where the likes of Alexander McQueen, Stella McCartney, John Galliano and so many others studied fashion. When her parents switched careers to open their two boutiques in London, it’s where she believes she subconsciously got the retail bug! Ironically they wanted her to join the family business but she wanted a career in advertising. It’s interesting Elena came full-circle to pursue her passion for shoes and design – the seed was planted early on in her teenage years.

Along with owning the boutique Elena launched her brand BUS STOP X in 2015. Each shoe collection is limited edition, so her customers feel unique in a pair of her designs, and did she mention how comfy they are too!  Designed in Philadelphia, handcrafted by artisans in luxurious leathers. Her shoe designs are sold exclusively in her boutique and on her website.