One thing is for sure, creativity runs in the Rossi family. After his father Sergio Rossi’s successful journey in the world of shoemaking, Gianvito Rossi kept his family legacy alive when he decided to strike out on his own in 2006. Ever since, he made a name for himself thanks to his innovative designs that stay true to the heritage of his hometown, Rimini. During Milan Fashion Week, Azyaamode got the chance to join the brand in this gorgeous Italian city and discover many of its success secrets. Join us to find out more about Gianvito Rossi in the designer’s own words.
We are here today in Rimini and so excited to have the opportunity to view the heart of your creative operation. What can you tell us about this location?
Rimini is my hometown. It’s where I grew up, where my father’s factory was and where mine is based. All my memories are in this region. This place particularly is really iconic and carries a heritage that somehow inspires my work such as the idea of Dolce Vita, beauty, the pleasure of meeting people, the elegance that it carries and at the same time, the fun. And when I go to Milan to visit our store in that beautiful building, I get feel the exact same way: that heritage feel is there too. However, there you are at the heart of the fashion world. So, these will always be two great aspects of our brand: the heritage, the allure, the quality, and the modernity, the new and the ideas that are completely innovative. Blending these two sides is very important to me and it really generates good promotion and energy.
Mask ball and surrealism were the inspiration behind your latest collection. Tell us more about it.
It is the fall/winter collection that is now available in stores. It was closely related to what I was referring to earlier: the idea of a party in a very special way. So, the mask ball is a moment where you can express a little bit more of who you are while hiding behind a mask. You feel a little bit freer to play and use special styles in an experimental way. This idea inspired me, which explains the use of all this shiny and metallic material, lamé or metallic leathers with black, gold and touches of red and green.
Besides the great quality leather, what is the material that you work with and that you find yourself always inclined to use?
Leather comes in different variations such as suede and calf – to name a few. We also use fabrics and sometimes, I like to include the stretch material, which I like very much because it allows you to create a very tight shape and play a little bit with the fabric texture. Then comes the transparency that allows showing more of the leg and makes it look longer regardless of the matter of being luxurious or precious.
What is the design that marked a new milestone in the journey of the brand?
One of the designs that I am proud of is the Vamp booties which stand out with their very deep V cut. I like this design very much because it represents a big moment in my journey in the field of shoemaking. On one hand, they are booties and give strength and confidence to your figure, while on the other they add a touch of sensuality and femininity to your look thanks to their deep V cut.
What’s your favorite color to work with?
Black is the color in which I make all the prototypes of the shoes, because as a start, a shoe needs to look beautiful in black. If we want to add another color, it can be even better but it has to be beautiful in black.
What else can you reveal to our readers?
Shoes will remain the core of our collections but I would like to add some accessories to our creative line; just small touches such as a clutch, a scarf or maybe some gloves – something that only completes the look.