The first famous victim in the fashion world has died at the age 84 from complications of the novel coronavirus: Italian shoe designer Sergio Rossi. Prior to his passing, he was hospitalized for a few days in Cesena, Italy, one of the nations hit hardest by the pandemic.
«Everyone at Sergio Rossi joins me in remembering our dear Sergio, the inspiring founder of our dream,» Sergio Rossi Group chief executive Riccardo Sciutto wrote in a statement. «Sergio Rossi was a master, and it is my great honor to have met him and gotten to present him the archive earlier this year. His vision and approach will remain our guide in the growth of the brand and the business. He loved women and was able to capture a woman’s femininity in a unique way, creating the perfect extension of a woman’s leg through his shoes. Our long and glorious history started from his incredible vision and we’ll remember his creativity forever.»
Sergio Rossi founded his eponymous footwear label in 1951, and quality craftsmanship has remained central to the brand’s identity ever since. Expertly handmade in the founder’s native San Mauro Pascoli, each pair of shoes is the product of a 120-step process and more than 14 hours of meticulous attention to detail. It was a family business: Rossi’s father was a shoemaker, and his son, Gianvito Rossi, went on to start his own successful accessories brand.
Gianvito said that his father put up a noble fight against the coronavirus. »He has always stood out for his class and his strong, charismatic, generous, courageous character: a natural leader, loved and respected at the same time by his collaborators, with whom, in the long journey of his life, he created one big family,« Gianvito Rossi wrote. «The family offers, with love, their last goodbye: With the unquenchable fire of your passion, you taught us that there are no limits for those who love what they do. Goodbye, maestro.»
Grazie Sergio!
LoL, Sandra
Photos: Courtesy of Sergio Rossi, Net-à-Porter and © Sandra Bauknecht
DISCLOSURE: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning when you click the links and make a purchase, we receive a commission.
