Dear Diane and Shaded Viewers,
Vincent Bottesi stands out as a testament to artisanal craftsmanship in the age of mass production. The young designer produces high-end footwear from his workshop in Romans, France, a city in which he was also awarded the first prize in shoe and fine leather creation in 2010.
"Finding the best materials and techniques to create my shoes is the biggest challenge. I am very nostalgic, I like the idea of the designs are mixing the past and the future," Bottesi says. His Spring/Summer 2014 collection Nouvelle Vague (New Wave) is a collection of leather sandals, boots and stilettos named after icons of the fifties and sixties like Twiggie, Sophia and Jane. The models are made of brightly coloured goat, python and calfskin leather whilst bearing Plexiglass heels and Bottesi's signature curved heel (reenacting the shape of the calves).
"My design process starts with my dreams and inspirations. Deciding to do shoe design came out of my cultural heritage," says the Dauphin
