By Agnese Augusta Patriarca Bertoli. Images courtesy of Gianvito Rossi.
Gianvito Rossi’s Talk: A Masterclass in Style and Confidence
What is a shoe? Not many fashion designers can answer that question, and meeting one of them is a rare stroke of luck. A shoe is the medium between us and the ground; it’s how we literally step into the world, the sound we make as we walk, and the way we feel while doing so. Shoes are an extension of the body. Gianvito Rossi knows this, and we, students from Marangoni Firenze, had the pleasure of hearing it directly from the designer himself. Alongside him, we also met his daughter, Sofia Rossi, Brand Image Manager of the company and representative of the fourth generation in the family shoe business, in an encounter mediated by journalist Francesca Delogu and Director of Education Francesca Giulia Tavanti.
Gianvito Rossi and the Shoemaking Legacy of the Rossi Family
Shoes truly run in the Rossi family. Gianvito, son of Sergio Rossi, was born among them: the family home was literally above his father’s shoe factory. When asked when he began making shoes or taking an interest in them, he admitted he had no clear starting point—the factory beneath his home had been his personal playground as a child. Over the years, he gradually learned about the architectural nature of shoes and their construction. For him, shoemaking was never work—it was a natural unfolding.
In the 1980s, high-fashion brands began treating shoes as integral parts of collections rather than mere accessories for runway presentations. Gianvito Rossi had the chance to collaborate with designers such as Gianni Versace and Alaïa during the collection design phases, while still learning production and manufacturing techniques from his father at home. High quality has always been the core of his eponymous brand. His formative years taught him that a clearly defined identity and coherence are what elevate a product to true excellence.
How Gianvito Rossi Created His Eponymous Brand
When his father sold the company to a large group and production left the family home, Gianvito realized that shoes were his ultimate purpose. He then decided to launch his own label, Gianvito Rossi. Creating one’s identity and staying deeply rooted in personal principles is essential for crafting enduring products. “Build your identity; this is crucial, and take your time to do it,” Gianvito advised us students. His design approach does not chase viral trends (“Even if you feel the pressure of deadlines!”,he laughed). “Once a collection is on the market, the following ones cannot shift from trend to trend; there has to be coherence and innovation.”
Simplicity, originality, and innovation are pillars of his philosophy. His designs are modern and timeless rather than fleetingly trendy, which makes buying his shoes a real investment.
The Philosophy Behind Gianvito Rossi’s Shoes
Gianvito Rossi is pragmatic: “There’s always room for improvement,”he said.“What matters is the real object, not its idealization.” In the luxury world, quality is paramount. Designing a shoe requires structural knowledge as much as an understanding of silhouette. The must-haves in Gianvito Rossi’s shoes are elegance, modernity, and femininity. The designer emphasized that femininity is central to his work—not only aesthetically, but paradoxically as a tool for empowerment: “Combining feminine lines with bold details in shoes are the two key ingredients for one thing: confidence.”
Gianvito Rossi’s Vision of Modern Femininity
It was striking how often the word “femininity” came up during the talk. Perhaps because, in contemporary collections, genuine attention to women seems increasingly rare. Gianvito Rossi, however, appears genuinely committed to this cause. The woman wearing his designs is, as he described, unafraid to embrace her femininity; she wears it proudly, fiercely.
In short, thinking of Gianvito Rossi means thinking of legacy, modernity, and fearless women. But beyond that, his work reminds us that a shoe is never just an accessory—it’s architecture, it’s poetry, it’s a step into the world with style and confidence. And maybe, just maybe, every pair carries a little bit of the magic of childhood dreams and family legacy.
