Giuseppe Zanotti is one of the pinnacles of Italian shoe fashion, the veritable maestro of luxury footwear. With good reason! He’s quickly approaching his 20th year in the fashion world and every collection seems to outdo the preceding one; somehow – we’re still trying to figure out how it’s possible – he manages to raise the bar for himself every season and then surpasses our expectations.
This season, as if acknowledging how far he has come over the past two decades, he went back to his design roots. Know what that means? He’s reaching into the archives for a little costume jewelry inspiration. His collection contains a bevvy of toothy crocodiles, delicate golden leaves, golden Aztec faces with turquoise gem embellishments, huge safety pins, intricate beading, MC-hammer sized golden chains, massive crystal-cut jewels, and – our favorite, featured on his Nirvana shoe – a serpentine golden ankle cuff in place of a strap. He’s played around with his classic forms and shapes, reworking the
designs to have a playful and unusual edge to them. In this collection, he’s even added a vintage paisley and loud leopard print into the mix.
Though he’s associated with high-luxury Italian craftsmanship, it’s amazing to see how he’s able to push the boundaries and combine classic construction with modern ideas. His close friendships with model Anja Rubik and Kanye West might partially be to blame, but whatever it is, we love it. Don’t worry, his gorgeous sandals constructed out of supple strappy leather and decadent snakeskin aren’t going anywhere. If you’re looking for a more classic Zanotti heel, he’s still got you covered. This spring season, he’s also offering d’Orsay pumps, unique flatforms, and a plethora of mules; no matter your preference, he has created a shoe for you.
His gorgeous spring shoes have already been spotted on sartorial stars Katy Perry, Sandra Bullock, and – most recently to the EMA’s – Rita Ora. Due to the exclusivity of the Spring 2014 collection, we wouldn’t be surprised if the amount of celebrities wearing Zanotti sandals skyrockets in the next couple months. In order to stay with the times, pre-order a pair now and be prepared to wow.
Ankle wrap t-strap leather buckled sandal; available in black leather at Saks Fifth Avenue and brown leather at Neiman Marcus
Natural python double ankle-strap sandal with padded straps; available at Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue
Safety pin leather d’Orsay ankle-strap sandal; available in white suede & blue suede at Neiman Marcus or white suede & leopard print calf hair at Saks Fifth Avenue
High back glossy patent leather ankle-strap sandal; available in red with a 4.5″ heel at Neiman Marcus
Textured super strappy leather ankle tie sandal; available at Saks Fifth Avenue
Buckled leather strap sandal; available at Neiman Marcus
Belted canvas boot; available in military green at Neiman Marcus and beige at LuisaViaRoma
Platform leather printed buckled sandal; available in black/white at LuisaViaRoma
Suede t-strap sandal with a gold colored metal mask and enameled stones detail; available at LuisaViaRoma
Pointed-toe stiletto heel pump; available in pink suede at LuisaViaRoma
Peep-toe leather biker platform booties with double buckles and exposed zipper detail; available in black at Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue & LuisaViaRoma and in nude at Forward by Elyse Walker
Beaded suede cut-out sandal; available at LuisaViaRoma
Written by Shannon Weston
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