He fell in love with the ‘city of gold’ and enlisted in the University of Dubai to study business.

But Ruivo continued to draw and sketch — in notebooks and on textbooks. Only this time, he started sketching shoes that mirrored the growth, wealth and gold around him.

A classmate noticed his drawings and convinced him to design a stellar pair of heels for an upcoming wedding — she would find the material and the shoemaker.

“When these ladies go to a wedding it’s custom dresses, the best shoes and the best accessories,” he said. “Everything was tailor-made. I told her ‘I don’t know fashion’.”

After that first pair of dazzling heels, he started getting requests for custom designs he said.

“My math book became a catalogue,” he said.

From there, he spent months travelling to South America, Europe and China learning the ins and outs of the shoe industry from materials, construction, production and distribution.

And the Roberto Ruivo Company was born in 2008, featuring a line of exotic heels made with all the shimmer, shine and gold that is Dubai. Now, his online collection is booming, with a new line coming out each season.

Ruivo is looking into creating a line of flats for his upcoming spring and summer collection. He is also considering bringing his glimmer and glam style to men’s shoes.

But Ruivo considers himself an artist before a designer or businessperson.

“I draw out every detail, every accent before I search out the material to match the drawing,” he said. “A designer does the opposite, going after the material first.”

For more, visit robertoruivocompany.com