LONDON, United Kingdom — Italy is known for its abundance of culture and style, and with the likes of Giorgio Armani, Donatella Versace, Miuccia Prada, Giambattista Valli and Emilio Pucci, just some of the famous design names hailing from there, it’s no surprise that the country is spawning a bevy of emerging brands. De Siena Shoes is a new player on the international fashion scene that is certainly doing Italy proud, and the brand’s Autumn/Winter 2015 line and its recently debuted Spring/Summer 2016 collection is what we’d like to call a ‘game changer’.
Created in 2010, luxury footwear label De Siena showcases all that Italy is known, loved and celebrated for. We caught up with the founder of the company, Francesco Lorenzi, to talk about the products, 100% handmade, in Tuscany.
De Siena Shoes: Made for the Femme Fatale
The power of femininity is always one of the main ingredients when Francesco and his team of international designers get to work on a new collection, and their A/W range is no exception. However, it appears that other influences may have been at work when their latest line was created.
“This time round we were particularly inspired by the evolution of the music scene. We are all huge music fans so the colourful boots you can see in our latest collection pay homage to the 70’s, which is evidently a very big trend for the Autumn/Winter season. For the black collection, we were more drawn to the hard rock genre and from this a number of very shapely silhouettes with metal and laced details were born,” explains Francesco.
De Siena Shoes: Deviating from the Mass Market
In addition to the female form and other influences taking pride of place throughout the design phase, the materials selection process is what sets De Siena Shoes apart from other luxury footwear brands. Their use of the highest quality materials is a sure-fire staple you can expect with each and every one of their collections, as Francesco explains: “For us the selection of the newest and highest quality materials, 100% made in Italy, is one of our main assets.”
In order to be different from run of the mill, mass market products, we are always experimenting and presenting to our clients unseen materials, for instance, this season the laser fringed leather for our T-bar heels.
Their continued investment in new materials and combinations is what keeps them way ahead of other luxury labels, and whilst their brand is still considered ‘young’ in the three and half years that they have been in business, De Siena has brought more than 200 different designs to fashion conscious, footwear fanatics across the globe.
De Siena Shoes: Looking Ahead
The brand recently presented their 2016 collection at Premiere Classe in Paris, a step that many established and emerging labels see as a defining aspect of a new line launch. Based on the reactions of onlookers and industry insiders, it appears we have much to look forward to when the spring/summer seasons come along once more.
“Whilst it is very difficult to get noticed at these types of events, with lots of brands competing for column inches and fashion insider thumbs up, the feedback we received when showcasing our S/S 2016 collection was very, very positive! For us it is very important to grow with every season, and with a number of international retailers carrying our brand and a rapidly expanding social presence, more and more people are falling in love with our shoes, and I hope you’ll do the same,” concluded Francesco.
