“I was a loser DJ,” Giuseppe Zanotti tells Tatler as we sit down to chat in the Presidential Suite at Fullerton Bay Hotel in Singapore. He’s sat in a lounge chair, wearing his signature black, thick-framed glasses.
Before becoming one of the world’s most celebrated shoe designers, Zanotti started his career as a DJ for an independent radio station in his hometown in Italy, essentially working for free because he would “spend all [his] money buying records”.
Zanotti grew up in San Mauro Pascoli, a coastal town one hour south of Bologna that’s known for shoe manufacturing. “It’s a beautiful summer place,” he says. His family owned a quaint restaurant and gelateria on the beach, where he would work during the peak season. “My father and mother had already written my destiny for me and my siblings—but this destiny felt too strange for me.”
Zanotti says he always had a penchant for design—whether that was sketching cars and bikes, or designing out-there ice cream cones for the family business—so after he left his career in radio, he began working for a local shoe company.
“Since I was a kid, I was amazed by people who work with their hands, the artisans,” he says. “I learnt everything, all the technical components … leather, the inside and outside, lining and upper, accessories and embroideries like jewels, stones, crystals. Shoes are a whole universe.”
After cutting his teeth, he began designing shoes freelance for brands such as Gianfranco Ferré and Valentino. “At the time, I didn’t have the self-confidence to put my name on my shoes,” he says. “They were just shoes with no name.”
この記事は Tatler Singapore の June 2023 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、8,500 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です ? サインイン
この記事は Tatler Singapore の June 2023 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、8,500 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です? サインイン
LIFE'S A BEACH
Tatler Asia gets an exclusive first look at Rosewood Phuket's new Houses, which include a colossal 21,000 square foot beachfront mansion
Making Memories
In planning the perfect wedding, the expert team at The St. Regis Singapore, with its dreamy ballrooms and bespoke service, ensures that your big day is replete with moments to cherish for a lifetime
GONE GLAMPING
Luxury experiential travel company and Beyond opens its first Asian lodge in Bhutan to showcase the country's natural beauty in its full glory
Under a Forest of Lights
For the discerning bride seeking an exclusive and bespoke celebration, JW Marriott Hotel Singapore South Beach is certainly up to the task
BEYOND SINGAPORE
As the local dining scene gets more competitive, homegrown brands are expanding overseas with their innovative concepts
THE MAVERICK MINDSET
With the opening of his new exhibition in Japan, Takashi Murakami speaks to Tatler about his prolific and wide-ranging career
GIVING NATURE
From those leading Tamily to changemakers and fundraisers, these standout women in philanthropy share how they are making a difference through the causes they support
House Icons
Gabrielle Chanel wrote her own story in the world of jewellery-a tale that still lives on within the house of Chanel today through its contemporary creations and one-of-a-kind treasures in the Patrimoine collection
Wrist Action
Homegrown watch strap and accessories brand Delugs is making waves across the international watch scene. Co-founders Chia Pei Qi and Kenneth Kuan share how their passion project blossomed into a burgeoning business with an even stronger community
Chain Reaction
Dripping in diamonds and equipped with a dedicated in-house movement, Richard Mille's RM 07-01 Automatic watches are the paragon of innovation and stylish sophistication