From Cinderella to nowadays, shoes have always been an icon of elegance and sensuality. Especially if they are Italian shoes. Well-known song-writers Minke de Ville and Patty Larkin have both given tribute to the outstanding quality of these products with two “twin hits”, both entitled “Italian Shoes”. And how can we forget the shiny red shoe portrayed on the poster of the movie “The Devil Wears Prada”? These are just a couple of examples that can show fairly enough how much Americans love Italian shoes!
Recently 45.000 thousands of US trade operators, experts in the field, consumers, and passionate have voted their favorite Italian footwear manufacturers in occasion of the “Stepping Out in Italian Shoes. Popular Choice Awards”, a contest organized by the
Italian Trade Commission [2] and
ANCI [3] (Associazione Nazionale Calzaturifici Italiani - Italian Footwear Manufacturers Association).
“We are very excited about this project because it was our first large-scale event in the U.S. and the first one directed to the general public,” said Fabio Aromatici, general director of ANCI. “The Association has a long history of working with the media and the industry. Now we are also reaching out to consumers. The use of digital technologies, like the ‘Stepping Out’ microsite, is another important step for us as an organization.”
Published and publicized on both the paper and the web edition of the trade journal
Footwear News [4], the initiative resulted in the designation of five winners, each one in a different sector:
Claudia Ciuti [5]for
Women’s Designer;
Franceschetti [6] for
Men’s Designer;
Giorgio Fabiani [7] for
Women’s Contemporary ; Roberto Guerrini for
Men’s Contemporary; and
Casadei [8]for
Innovative Design.
These eminent (and popular) representatives of the “Made in Italy” production in the footwear industry will be awarded before a public of selected guests by celebrity guest host
Jamie-Lynn Sigler [9] during a cocktail party to be held at the elegant Italian
Montenapo Restaurant [10], NYC, on September 13.
The event will not only be an occasion of fun for those invited to attend, but it also represents a new strategy to introduce the world of Italian footwear industry to a wider American public.
“The goal of this awards program was to capture the attention of U.S. consumers and involve them in the world of ‘Made in Italy’ footwear,” said Aniello Musella, trade commissioner and executive director for the USA at the Italian Trade Commission. “Stepping Out in Italian Shoes presented the best-of-the-best Italian shoe designers from firms large and small.”
Under this perspective, the popular participation is particularly relevant and the contest has given to thousands of US consumers a chance to have an insight look at the creativity, quality and style of a key sector of the Italian world of fashion.
