Sergio Rossi pairs up with sister brand Wolford
A tie-up between two brands from the stable of Shanghai’s Lanvin Group, formerly Fosun Fashion Group, has resulted in a seven-piece collection of luxury footwear and hosiery inspired by the 14-hour, 120-step process behind a pair of Sergio Rossi shoes.
Wolford's tights, meanwhile, for which it is best known, each receive 20-plus checks per pair, with 15% of the production process given over to quality control.
The footwear company’s artistic director, Evangelie Smyrniotaki, who took up her role earlier this year, described the collaborative effort as “a dream come true” and product of “fashion destiny”, referencing how the accompanying campaign imagery, shot by Haris Farsarakis in New York City, is meant to pay homage the oeuvre of late photographer Helmut Newton. The creative is known to have worked on editorial projects with both brands.
Among the assortment of dual-branded tights and socks, available crystal-embellished, studded or boldly hued, is the collection’s hero piece: a pair of thigh-high, all-in-one boots with a warp-knit, stay-up construction. Priced at $1,220, they have been built on a 10-centimetre Sergio Rossi stiletto heel.
“Sergio Rossi and Wolford represent a perfect synergy, both defining the bottom half of the body for nearly a century,” commented chief commercial officer at the latter, Silvia Azzali. The collaboration is “a natural progression, combining [both brands’] strengths to offer ever more creative product value", she added.
Lanvin Group, which acquired 100% of Sergio Rossi last year, achieved record-level revenues for the six months ended June 30, up 73% year on year to reach approximately $210 million (€202 million).
The business will vote on whether to merge with a special purpose acquisition company created by Chinese investment firm Primavera Capital on December 9, which could lead to a New York Stock Exchange listing by the close of the year, according to reports.
The co-created Stay-Up boots. Credit: Wolford/Sergio Rossi.
