Inch2

Inch2, stylized in some contexts as I N C H 2 and pronounced “Inch two,” is a Latvian footwear brand founded in 2014 by Olga and Edward Peterson. The brand is based in Riga and is operated through the Petersons’ company, Animo Forti Ltd. Its central proposition is handcrafted footwear that combines traditionally masculine shoe forms with a more fashion-oriented approach to proportion, color, and detailing. Inch2 has presented this aesthetic as suitable both for women who prefer masculine-inspired footwear and for men seeking distinctive design details. The business was developed around the combination of e-commerce and small-scale shoemaking. Before the launch, the founders had complementary experience: Olga Peterson worked in architecture and fashion-related writing, while Edward Peterson specialized in online marketing. Olga studied architecture at Middlesex University in London and had written about design and fashion for her blog Zrivnutro and the Latvian fashion magazine Pastaiga. These backgrounds helped shape a brand that emphasized visual identity, direct online sales, and product design rather than a conventional retail-first model. Inch2 began with five shoe styles, produced by a small workshop in Riga that made only a few pairs per day. Demand and the need to increase production capacity and consistency led the company to move manufacturing outside Latvia. Production partners in Portugal subsequently supported the development of broader women’s and men’s collections, as well as handbags. The brand has described its materials and construction as combining classic shoemaking with contemporary styling; its footwear uses leather sourced from Italy and Portugal. The brand’s stated design principles are style, comfort, and quality. Its products generally draw on familiar footwear categories and silhouettes but distinguish themselves through color combinations, surface treatments, hardware, and other visual details. This approach places Inch2 between traditional leather footwear and contemporary fashion accessories, with both women’s and men’s lines rather than a narrowly gendered product proposition. Inch2 gained visibility in the Baltic fashion scene after Olga Peterson received the Debut of the Year in Fashion award nomination associated with Riga Fashion Week in 2015. The brand later received Best Digital Marketing nominations in 2018 and 2019. It also pursued fashion-week collaborations, including a 2018 project with Georgian singer Keti Topuria and her KETIone label at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Russia, followed by a 2019 collaboration with Pauline Ducruet and her Alter label during the Paris Men’s Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2020 season. The company’s online sales model generated substantial reported demand, including more than one million euros in online sales during Black Friday in 2018. However, the brand’s commercial practices later attracted scrutiny in Latvia. The Consumer Rights Protection Centre fined Animo Forti €10,000 after receiving complaints concerning the Inch2 online store, including allegations involving unfulfilled orders, returned goods, and money not repaid to consumers. The case, reported in connection with warnings from Latvian consumer-protection bodies, is an important part of the brand’s documented history. The available reference material does not establish the brand’s current ownership, operating status, or present sales footprint.

Inch2 was established in 2014 by Latvian couple Olga and Edward Peterson. The operating company, Animo Forti Ltd., was formed in September of that year. The founders approached footwear through a combination of design, digital commerce, and small-batch manufacturing. Olga’s background in architecture and fashion writing gave the project a design-oriented foundation, while Edward contributed online marketing expertise. The first Inch2 collection consisted of five shoe styles. Initial production took place in a small Riga workshop capable of making only a few pairs per day. As demand increased, the founders sought partners that could provide greater capacity and more consistent quality. Manufacturing was moved from Latvia to Portugal, where new production relationships enabled the brand to expand into separate women’s and men’s lines and to add handbags. The brand’s footwear was described as using leather from Italy and Portugal and as combining established shoemaking methods with modern styling. Inch2’s identity developed around the tension between masculine footwear forms and feminine styling. The brand targeted women interested in traditionally masculine shoes while also producing footwear for men who valued unusual details. Classic materials and construction were paired with distinctive colors, proportions, and finishing elements. The company presented style, comfort, and quality as its principal design values. The brand’s early public recognition came through the Baltic fashion system. In March 2015, Olga Peterson received the Debut of the Year in Fashion recognition associated with the Baltic Fashion Federation and Riga Fashion Week. Inch2 later received Best Digital Marketing nominations in 2018 and 2019, reflecting the importance of its online-sales strategy and digital presentation. The company also used collaborations and fashion-week appearances to broaden its visibility. In January 2018, Inch2 collaborated with Georgian singer Keti Topuria and her KETIone brand at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Russia. In June 2019, it collaborated with Pauline Ducruet and her Alter fashion label during the Paris Men’s Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2020 season. These projects connected the Latvian footwear brand with fashion personalities and events outside its home market. Online commerce was central to Inch2’s growth. The brand reportedly generated more than one million euros in online sales during Black Friday in 2018. The available reference material does not provide audited financial statements or clarify whether the figure refers to gross sales, net sales, or a particular legal entity. The company later faced consumer-protection scrutiny. Latvian authorities reported that the Consumer Rights Protection Centre had received 118 complaints by 2019, including complaints from consumers in other European Union member states. The complaints reportedly involved unfulfilled orders, returned merchandise, and approximately €21,000 in unpaid consumer refunds. Animo Forti Ltd., which operated the Inch2 online store, was fined €10,000 and ordered to stop the practices deemed dishonest by the consumer-protection authorities. The available materials do not document the brand’s subsequent operating status, ownership changes, or current distribution network.

1. 2019Alter collaboration and consumer-protection action

   Inch2 collaborates with Alter in Paris while its operating company faces a Latvian consumer-protection fine concerning online-store practices.

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2. 2018KETIone collaboration

   Inch2 collaborates with Keti Topuria’s KETIone label at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Russia.

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3. 2018Reported Black Friday online-sales milestone

   The brand reports online sales exceeding one million euros during Black Friday.

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4. 2015Riga workshop production expands

   Following early demand, production begins transitioning from a small Riga workshop toward Portuguese manufacturing partners.

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5. 2015Debut of the Year in Fashion recognition

   Olga Peterson receives debut recognition associated with the Baltic Fashion Federation and Riga Fashion Week.

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6. 2014Inch2 is founded

   Olga and Edward Peterson launch Inch2 in Latvia, with operations conducted through Animo Forti Ltd.

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A design-led Latvian footwear label combining masculine-inspired silhouettes, handcrafted construction, and contemporary colors and details. Inch2 emphasizes style, comfort, and quality while selling primarily through an e-commerce-oriented model.

• Women’s footwearFootwear2014

  Women’s shoes form a core part of Inch2’s identity. The line interprets traditionally masculine footwear through women’s proportions and fashion details, using leather construction, distinctive colors, and decorative or structural accents. The products are positioned for customers who prefer tailored, masculine-inspired silhouettes without giving up a fashion-oriented appearance.

• Men’s footwearFootwear

  The men’s line applies the brand’s emphasis on classic materials and contemporary detailing to formal and fashion-led shoe shapes. Inch2 presents these products as footwear for men attentive to color, finish, and design nuance. Production was supported by Portuguese partners as the brand expanded beyond its initial small-batch Riga operation.

• HandbagsFashion accessories

  Handbags were added as the brand developed broader women’s and men’s collections through Portuguese production partnerships. The available reference material identifies handbags as part of the expanded assortment but does not provide a detailed model list or current availability.

• 2019Alter collaboration

  France · International fashion audience

  Inch2 collaborated with Pauline Ducruet and her Alter label during the Paris Men’s Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2020 season.

  Outcome. The project placed Inch2 within an international fashion-week collaboration involving footwear and contemporary fashion.

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• 2018KETIone collaboration

  Russia · International fashion audience

  Inch2 partnered with Georgian singer Keti Topuria and her KETIone fashion label for a presentation connected with Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Russia.

  Outcome. The collaboration increased the brand’s visibility through a fashion-week platform outside Latvia.

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• 2018Emphasize online sales and fashion collaborationsStrategy

  Inch2 developed as an e-commerce-led footwear brand and sought recognition beyond Latvia.

  What changed. The company combined online selling with fashion-week collaborations, including the KETIone project in Russia.

  Aftermath. The brand reported more than one million euros in online sales during Black Friday 2018, but audited financial context is unavailable.

  Reported online sales. More than EUR 1 million (Black Friday 2018)

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• 2015Move production to PortugalStrategy

  Initial production in Riga was limited to a few pairs per day, while demand and quality requirements increased.

  What changed. The brand shifted production toward Portuguese manufacturing partners and used the new capacity to broaden its footwear lines and add handbags.

  Aftermath. The move supported higher production volume and collection expansion, although the available material does not provide later capacity or profitability figures.

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• 2019Consumer-protection complaints and fineControversy

  Latvia’s Consumer Rights Protection Centre fined Animo Forti Ltd., the operator of the Inch2 online store, €10,000 over commercial practices that authorities characterized as dishonest. Reported complaints involved unfulfilled orders, returned goods, and delayed or missing refunds. The authorities also ordered the company to stop the practices.

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• 2019Inch2 collaborates with Alter during Paris Men’s Fashion Week

  Inch2 collaborated with Pauline Ducruet and her Alter label during the Spring/Summer 2020 men’s fashion-week season in Paris.

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• 2019Inch2 receives a second Best Digital Marketing nomination

  Inch2 received another Best Digital Marketing nomination associated with Riga Fashion Week.

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• 2018Inch2 collaborates with KETIone at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Russia

  Inch2 worked with Georgian singer Keti Topuria and her KETIone fashion label in a fashion-week collaboration.

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• 2018Inch2 reports more than one million euros in Black Friday online sales

  The brand reportedly exceeded one million euros in online sales during the 2018 Black Friday period.

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• 2018Inch2 receives a Best Digital Marketing nomination

  The brand was nominated for Best Digital Marketing in connection with Riga Fashion Week.

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• 2015Olga Peterson receives Riga Fashion Week debut recognition

  Olga Peterson was named a winner of the Debut of the Year in Fashion nomination associated with the Baltic Fashion Federation and Riga Fashion Week.

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1. Inch2