Luxury shoe designer Mary Alice Malone’s creative spirit and work ethic were fostered by her upbringing in Chester County, and they’re now thriving in the London fashion world.

“It was a very creative atmosphere because we were detached from the rest of the world. There was no worrying about what anybody thought of you and what trends were,” she said in a Post Magazine interview by Daniel Kong.

Now in London, the creator of Malone Souliers feels the same freedom to channel her creative expression into her shoe designs.

“I find London fascinating! Like Pennsylvania, but in a very different way,” she explained; “nobody cares what you look like or how you dress. Everybody comes from such different backgrounds. And everybody’s OK with everything being different.”

Malone also credits her business savvy and the pursuit of excellence to her mother, Chester County’s and the state’s wealthiest woman.

“My mother still works tirelessly. She is one of the most self-determined humans I know,” Malone said.

“She took care of my sister and me and still worked day in, day out. Horses require care 24/7, so your work really becomes your lifestyle. … I learnt from this experience that perfection is some­thing no one will ever probably need, but that joy comes from the constant striving for perfection.”

Read more about Mary Alice Malone’s past and present creative inspirations in Post Magazine here, and check out previous VISTA Today coverage of the Malone family here.