Philippe Zorzetto at Galeries Lafayette: the keys to success for a French brand
From August 26 to September 5, Galeries Lafayette Champs-Élysées is partnering with shoe manufacturer Philippe Zorzetto to launch a new line of sneakers, made in Montjean-sur-Loire.
For 13 years, Philippe Zorzetto has been making progress with his eponymous brand dedicated to women’s, men’s and genderless shoes. The keys to success? To have understood the importance of the physical link with the customers. Since the opening of its first boutique in the heart of the Parisian marais, rue vieille du temple, the shoe manufacturer has superimposed the disruptive approach of a contemporary designer on the traditional activity of a local shopkeeper, gracefully winning the loyalty of residents of the neighboring streets, the inhabitants of the district and regular tourists.
The second key to understanding the longevity of this prosperity is the consistency of the offer. Names chosen from the pantheon of sixties legends, constantly renewed models with elegant shapes that privilege the timelessness of the line without forbidding a little zest of nonchalance, handwork executed in workshops in France, Italy and Spain, natural French leather: Philippe Zorzetto shoes are both classic and enticing. The third ingredient of success: a finely controlled communication. No advertisements but collaborations with personalities who seem to be in osmosis with the shoe maker’s universe.
Transforming the sneaker industry
This typically French universe seduced the Galeries Lafayette Champs-Élysées. The shoe manufacturer’s offer will indeed convince a local clientele without raising misunderstanding in the international market. The department store will host from August 26 to September 5 in its “master staircase” an exclusive pop-up dedicated to the launch of a limited edition of a new line of sneakers that is characterized by the total transparency of its manufacture. “This collection aims to transform the sneaker industry and offer a new premium experience, combining well-being with a more ethical production” proclaims the shoe manufacturer.
Entirely manufactured, from pattern making to assembly, in Montjean-sur-Loire (Maine-et-Loire), this exclusive series not only chooses to be made in France, but also imposes the requirement of natural or recycled raw materials, also coming from France, or from countries very close to it (less than 1,400 km from the manufacturing workshop). The skins and leather in general, reminds the creator, are all from the waste of the food industry. The soles are made with 60 percent rubber, and the laces are woven from organic cotton. This manufacturing method allows the brand to divide its carbon footprint by three.
Photo credit: Philippe Zorzetto
