Liverpool couple Paul Triggs and Olivia Taylor, parents to four children, launch new footwear brand offering ‘luxury-style trainers at affordable prices’. Tony McDonough reports

A couple from Liverpool have leveraged their love of fashion to create a new footwear brand.

Parents to four children, Paul Triggs and Olivia Taylor, have created Through Different Eyes which offers “luxury-style trainers at affordable prices”. They are available online and at the Transalpino store in Great Homer Street in Liverpool.

With backgrounds in utilities, oil, gas and retail, entering the fashion industry hasn’t been easy for the pair. They say choosing footwear came from a blend of “practicality and passion”.

Olivia said: “We felt the clothing market was saturated so we decided to focus on footwear, trainers specifically, which gave us a space to create high-quality, stylish designs that felt unique but affordable.”

Both Olivia and Paul say they were inspired to launch the business after their seven-year-old daughter Violet was diagnosed with autism. She is also nonverbal.

Paul explained: “Raising a child with additional needs has brought many challenges, but also a transformative perspective on life – not just for us as parents but for our entire family.

“Everything in our lives has to be carefully planned; we allow extra time for delays, manage meltdowns, and adapt to the unknowns.

“There’s a silent weight that often goes unseen by the outside world. But we’ve learned to see things through different eyes and see a different side to normality.”

Understanding the challenges that Violet may face in the world, particularly when she’s older in terms of career and employment, the couple aim to remove these barriers and create something that Violet could be part of as she grows alongside her siblings Teddy, nine, Minnie, six, and Bunny, two.

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“Statistically, the odds are stacked against Violet when it comes to employment, it is said that as low as 16% of autistic adults are in full-time, paid employment,” added Olivia.

“We wanted to create something sustainable, something she could be part of. If we can’t find a future for her, we’ll build one.

“I came up with the concept as a tribute to the way Violet views the world; with unique, often misunderstood clarity. The brand’s stylish “V” logo not only represents Violet’s name but also stands as a symbol of our family business.”