A Salford businesswoman has secured a £50,000 investment for her fledgling footwear business after appearing on the BBC's Dragon's Den.
Gaynor Thomasson agreed a deal to team up with fashion mogul Touker Suleyman after a tense pitch.
The 53-year-old from Monton has three brands in her portfolio including 'It's All About Shoes', which specialises in making high-end fashion footwear, and 'Heels and Toez', which offers customised shoes for children, the Manchester Evening News reports.
Speaking after the show aired on Thursday: "It was one of the most nerve-wracking experiences of my life.
"I'm generally quite shy, but I was delighted to have been selected and getting to work with Touker is a life-changing experience."
Mr Suleyman said he was drawn to the unique designs, expert craftsmanship and the sustainability of materials used - and offered £50,000 for a significant stake in her business after the usual grilling by the Dragons.
Gaynor has worldwide patents on all her designs, which boosted her chances of securing investment.
She added: "We have progressed immensely since the Den and have lots more exciting projects to come. The next year will see several products launched into the UK market."
Mrs Thomasson said she was passionate about changing the way shoes are manufactured and educating wearers to make better purchase choices.
She grew up in South Africa and spent her childhood close to nature on beaches.
Her experiences, she said, inspired her to produce a brand with strong environmental credentials.
She learned more than 300 million pairs of shoes end up in landfill annually or are burned, and felt that there was a gap in the market for a sustainable product.
"Have you ever thought 'where will these shoes land up when I have finished with them?'.
"There are 30 to 80 components in a shoe," she said.
"If they cannot be separated, they cannot be recycled. Our shoe allows you to glide the straps/design off the base unit, easily separating them."
The mum-of-four's background has not always been within the footwear business.
She trained in the high-end fashion houses of Florence and Venice, learning her craft making handmade shoe, and worked with Manchester University to develop her product, as well as a dedicated business coach from People Plus and The Manchester Growth Hub.
