FA S H I O N • S H O E S
A New Kind of B 38
Wedding Shoe Has any one of us put together a bridal look without contemplating how to incorporate a touch of colour? My “aha moment” was in 2002, when I saw the first photographs of Gwen Stefani’s hot pink dip-dyed wedding gown designed by John Galliano for Christian Dior. My heart stopped, and I realized that her gown was the embodiment of my wedding dress dreams. Not every bride will want to be so bold with colour, and not every bride will have the budget or access to a couture wedding gown. As such, my compromise in 2004 was to add drama with rich red floral bouquets. Luckily, the bridal fashion world has moved forward, and access to unique pieces has been made easier thanks to creative local designers and better access to online shopping. The important thing to understand is that there are ways to add a pop of colour here and there; you can be bold, or you can be subtle, but it is absolutely one of those trends that is here to stay. Fast-forward to 2021, and Gwen Stefani was once again a wedding look trendsetter when she wore white and gold stiletto cowgirl boots by Le Silla to marry Blake Shelton. Footwear is a really subtle way to jazz up your bridal look, because most gowns will be long enough to cover the shoes while the bride is standing at the reception and for the classic family and wedding party photos. However, when the fashion forward bride walks down the aisle and dances during the reception, guests can catch a glimpse of fantastically colourful shoes. The bride can also pose dramatically for photos à la Gwen,
tale, the way he described conceiving his shoe brand together with his beautiful wife Luisa in the town of Vigevano, near Milan, in northern Italy. Dating back to the 10th century AD, Vigevano is not only one of Italy’s historic art centers, but it is renowned for its long history of the artisanal craft of shoemaking. In Italian, the word is calzature, which is infinitely more elegant and romantic than the word shoemaking, and perhaps this was the key to unlocking the magic that began in Vigevano and will forever link the art of calzature with Italy’s cultural heritage. During our interview, Arturo listed for me a number of celebrated shoe designers who own or use factories in Vigevano to produce their shoes. In fact, prior to launching his own brand of shoes in 2018, at the urging of his lovely and creative wife Luisa, Arturo worked for other notable shoe design houses. I won’t name them, but they are known and coveted worldwide.
where she hitched up her skirt and dramatically pointed one cowgirl booted toe up in the air. The romance of a new kind of wedding shoe came to life when I interviewed the Italian shoe designer, Arturo Gorlini. When he spoke to me by telephone, it was as if he were telling me a fairy
Located in Vigevano, apart from shoe factories, is a professional school which Arturo attended, that teaches shoe design, pattern making, cutting and sewing. Arturo explains that the ability of a shoe designer to create a heel of any great height, that can be realistically and comfortably worn, comes from his many years of patient design artistry, and his precise attention to detail during the design process. For example, the pitch of the shoe must be considered, maintaining proper sizing by properly
