Step out, Italian style
By Yang Di |
October 26, 2012, Friday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
SINCE 1953, Fratelli Rossetti has delivered unmatched style and craftsmanship with its iconic shoe designs. Now the Italian company has chosen Shanghai as the second stop in Asia to showcase its most signature pieces and old world Italian craftsmanship, honed over the past 59 years.
The exhibition, which runs until October 26 at its Plaza 66 store, features 31 pairs of shoes from the company's archive - including innovations such as the introduction of the tassel and men's shoes worn without socks.
Luca Rossetti, the youngest child born to Renzo Rossetti, founder of Fratelli Rossetti SpA, is the executive style and collections director of the company. Responsible for developing collections and coordinating the team of designers and analyzing market trends, he told Shanghai Daily how the company remains in touch with the brand's time-honored traditions, while striving to make a classic look feel contemporary.
Q: As a family member of Rossetti, since when did you get hooked on shoes?
A: When I was a little child, I worked in the family shoe factory during summer vacations, so it was natural for me to develop a passion for leather shoes at very early age. While completing my corporate studies at Milan's Bocconi University, I was already actively involved with production and purchasing, working alongside my father in meetings on collections.
Q: When supervising and deciding on each collection, what always comes first to you? Material, function or style?
A: Craftsmanship, research and design are combined to create excellence in a product that conveys the genuine essence of a beloved handmade object. However, functionality comes first for us and we place much emphasis on supreme quality of materials. If the innovative, stylish idea is not practical, we would not go to make it. The shoes are known for their unrivaled comfort. As the decades moves on, with increased mass production, we still keep the time-honored traditions. Every pair of shoes from Fratelli Rossetti is a work of art hand-made by master craftspeople in Parabiago, outside of Milan. Many of the craftspeople have worked with us for 50 years and know-how is passed from generation to generation.
Q: How do you define Rossetti look and is it reflected on your own personal style?
A: A classic look with a twist; a perfect mix of style and tradition with a touch of the unexpected. Our women's shoes are known for their male mold. At the same time, they are elegant and refined. We started to create women's shoes in the 1970s, and 50 percent of the women's shoes collections have been inspired by men's shoes. The first women's shoe was a tasseled Derby, very similar to the one for men. And of course, I have definitely a Rossetti look. It's my job to select the designs with my brother.
Q: What's the latest trend in shoe design?
A: For women, at this moment, a masculine look is very popular. For men, a classic design with new colors is the trend. For the next spring/summer season, women's leather shoes with perforations will be fresh and stylish.
Q: How has the footwear industry changed in the past 60 years?
A: My father was one of the few innovators in shoe design in the 1950s, when there were only black and brown leather shoes for men. He introduced decorative tassels for men's loafers, invented men's shoes worn without socks, took an interest in moccasins but never lost sight of the value of tradition during this. Over time, lifestyle and customers' requirements for footwear changed. Shoes have become a vital part of a whole look and the quality of the product is fundamental. The classic style and an understated elegance is coming back.
The exhibition, which runs until October 26 at its Plaza 66 store, features 31 pairs of shoes from the company's archive - including innovations such as the introduction of the tassel and men's shoes worn without socks.
Luca Rossetti, the youngest child born to Renzo Rossetti, founder of Fratelli Rossetti SpA, is the executive style and collections director of the company. Responsible for developing collections and coordinating the team of designers and analyzing market trends, he told Shanghai Daily how the company remains in touch with the brand's time-honored traditions, while striving to make a classic look feel contemporary.
Q: As a family member of Rossetti, since when did you get hooked on shoes?
A: When I was a little child, I worked in the family shoe factory during summer vacations, so it was natural for me to develop a passion for leather shoes at very early age. While completing my corporate studies at Milan's Bocconi University, I was already actively involved with production and purchasing, working alongside my father in meetings on collections.
Q: When supervising and deciding on each collection, what always comes first to you? Material, function or style?
A: Craftsmanship, research and design are combined to create excellence in a product that conveys the genuine essence of a beloved handmade object. However, functionality comes first for us and we place much emphasis on supreme quality of materials. If the innovative, stylish idea is not practical, we would not go to make it. The shoes are known for their unrivaled comfort. As the decades moves on, with increased mass production, we still keep the time-honored traditions. Every pair of shoes from Fratelli Rossetti is a work of art hand-made by master craftspeople in Parabiago, outside of Milan. Many of the craftspeople have worked with us for 50 years and know-how is passed from generation to generation.
Q: How do you define Rossetti look and is it reflected on your own personal style?
A: A classic look with a twist; a perfect mix of style and tradition with a touch of the unexpected. Our women's shoes are known for their male mold. At the same time, they are elegant and refined. We started to create women's shoes in the 1970s, and 50 percent of the women's shoes collections have been inspired by men's shoes. The first women's shoe was a tasseled Derby, very similar to the one for men. And of course, I have definitely a Rossetti look. It's my job to select the designs with my brother.
Q: What's the latest trend in shoe design?
A: For women, at this moment, a masculine look is very popular. For men, a classic design with new colors is the trend. For the next spring/summer season, women's leather shoes with perforations will be fresh and stylish.
Q: How has the footwear industry changed in the past 60 years?
A: My father was one of the few innovators in shoe design in the 1950s, when there were only black and brown leather shoes for men. He introduced decorative tassels for men's loafers, invented men's shoes worn without socks, took an interest in moccasins but never lost sight of the value of tradition during this. Over time, lifestyle and customers' requirements for footwear changed. Shoes have become a vital part of a whole look and the quality of the product is fundamental. The classic style and an understated elegance is coming back.
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