The Rules Of Style According To Giuseppe Zanotti

The trailblazing shoe designer, who has worked with celebrities the likes of Miley Cyrus, Rihanna, Beyonce and Lady Gaga to electrify their visual identities both on and off the red carpet, shares samplings of style and shoe wisdom
Giuseppe Zanotti with actress Fiona Xie

“When I design shoes, funnily enough, I don’t think about shoes at all. I like to absorb the energy and vibe [of a place],” Giuseppe Zanotti tells GRAZIA Singapore on his recent visit for a cocktail party at his store in The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands. His approach to shoe design may be slightly unconventional, but it has resulted in footwear that has won him fans the world over. Beloved by celebrities, models and ladies who lunch, his bold creations have a metamorphic quality—turning their wearers into elegant glamazons the moment they slip into them. 

Here, the legendary designer’s bon mots about style, fashion, the transformative power of shoes, and more.

1. “When a woman wears a pair of heels, she becomes taller and more irresistible. When she walks, her movement is very close to a wild, beautiful panther. During a cocktail party or special dinner, a woman in stilettos is different—she is stronger and more powerful.”

2. “I think it is timeless—the body of the pump is perfect. It’s very similar to a woman’s body. It’s something that represents beauty to me.”

3. “ We need to be respectful of the body. Sometimes, women forget—they just want to have higher heels, to be more sexy!”

4. “When I started, maybe 30 years ago, my idea was to design only summer shoes, because I was brought up in a summery place. My dream is to stay in a place like Miami or Singapore, where it is always summer.”

5. “Boots for summertime. It’s nice: cowboy boots in summertime, paired with a bikini. It’s cool, sexy, you know?” 

6. “Fashion is a show. It’s nice for a woman to change her outfit two to three times in a day—it’s fantastic!”

7. “Beauty is something that is forever, for me. I think one nice, lovely, beautiful pair of shoes in your closet is like a photo in your archives. You’ll have a memory about the night you spent with these shoes and treasure it forever.”