Bal Harbour

72 BAL HARBOUR THE POWER OF THE PUMP For Italian shoe designer Gianvito Rossi, empowerment is on par with elegance. BY NICOLE MARTINEZ "TO TRULY EMPOWER A WOMAN, you have to show her personality, not yours," Gianvito Rossi tells me at his Bal Harbour showroom. "You need to give her a shoe for her every style and every mood." Glamorous and practical, it's no wonder that Rossi's eponymous label has quickly become a staple for smart dressing among the style set. Developing his craft alongside his father, the venerated shoe designer Sergio Rossi, Gianvito Rossi struck out on his own in ÓääÈ°º w`iVivÀ>Ü>i>ÃLi}vii but not too fragile, and wearing a style that makes her feel comfortable," he says. Rossi is in town preparing to ÃÌ>ë«}LiiwÌvÀÀiÃÃvÀ-ÕVViÃÃ]> «ÀwÌÀ}>â>ÌÌ>Ìi«ÜiÀÃÜiLÞ«ÀÛ`} them with professional attire and support. It's a charity that's close to his vision for the brand. "Women need to be strong to face their challenges," he says. "Style is particularly relevant in the way she faces the world." His design ethos is inspired by the women in his own life: His wife of 25 years, Monica Rossi, works for the brand, and his daughter Sophie spends her time away from university consulting her father on a variety of projects. With his son Nicola also at the helm, Rossi's business and personal life are inextricably intertwined. "A typical Saturday or Sunday morning is spent in the studio, going over our designs and spending time with prototypes, sketches, ideas and materials," he says. The resulting footwear toes a delicate balance between fashionable and functional, with subtle accoutrements preferred over extravagant details, and quality fabrics sourced from Italian tanneries. His signature Vamp bootie, for example, is the embodiment vÃÃiÃÕ>ÞiÌ«ÜiÀvÕVÀi`\Ƃ}L>V>``à `À>>Ì>Ã>À«ÃÌiÌÌ]Üi>«Õ}}6VÕÌ`Ü the arch of the foot suggestively bears a little skin. "It really combines the two elements I want to bring to life: empowerment and femininity," he says. Comfort may not immediately come to mind when ÞÕ Ã« > }À>ÛÌÞ`ivÞ} >ÛÌ ,Ãà «Õ«] but it's at the core of Rossi's philosophy. Each shoe is iÌVÕÕÃÞÀiÃi>ÀVi`]ÜÌ£äÌ£xwÌÌ}ÃÌw`Ìi proper cut, proportion, and shape. A shoe doesn't leave the atelier until it strikes the perfect balance between «À>VÌV>>`v>ÃvÀÜ>À`°ºÌ½Ã>Ü>ÞÃLiÌÌiÀÌLi smiling than crying, no?" laughs Rossi. His 2019 Spring/Summer collection will certainly bring a smile to any woman's face: Inspired by a Mediterranean summer—Rossi spent his summer holidays in Greece—the line features an airy color «>iÌÌi] ÀiV> Ã>`>à ÜÌ V> ÃÌÀ>«Ã] >` wÃiÌ >i >` ÛiÀÌiii LÌà vÀ ViÀ temperatures. "I really wanted to create something that expresses freedom, because to me, that's summertime," says Rossi. "I envisioned a collection that works for laying on the beach or partying on the beach, and just feeling very relaxed and free in the moment." With a style for every mood from racy to romantic, edgy to decidedly laidback, Gianvito Rossi proves that a woman can be anything she wants. "Feeling beautiful and Vw`iÌ]»iÕÃiÃ]ºÜÌ>̽ÃÌÀÕii«ÜiÀiÌ°» MUST-HAVES "I envisioned a collection that works for laying on the beach or partying on the beach, and just feeling very relaxed and free in the moment." -Gianvito Rossi

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