F O OT W E A R N E W S .C O M / J U N E 1 2 , 2 0 1 7 / @ F O OT W E A R N E W S

family issue

Elegant and powerful, the Ferragamos lead FN’s

fascinating look at the most storied names in footwear.

SHOE DYNASTIES

The

8

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INSIDER

9 The Next Chapter As retail upheaval continues, a look at what’s ahead for the industry’s workers.

11 FN Spy Amazon Fashion toasts Dwyane Wade and stylist Elizabeth Saltzman talks shoes.

12 French Toast Parisian

department store Bon Marché is making a splash with a custom shoe program.

13 What’s Trending Ivanka Trump’s brand addresses China controversy, and Mickey Drexler exits top spot at J.Crew.

FEATURE

24 Runway Report The standout looks for resort season.

THE LIST

27 Shoe of the Week Taryn Rose returns with a feminine take on boots.

28 Burning Question How are comfort brands combating the heavy promotions at retail?

29 On the Move How one Green Bay store went to fi nd the tra� c.

30 Inspiration Point Designer Patricia Green shares her opulent fall infl uences.

32 Hot as Blazes Shades of red are heating up this season.

33 Get a Jump-Start Under new ownership, Aravon has received a makeover.

33 Five Questions Veteran retailer Rick Ravel on today’s big issues.

FN PICK

34 Hot Curry Sure, Steph and LeBron battled it out on court. So did Under Armour and Nike.

C O N T E N T S

“The biggest risk for a family business is when it gets to the third generation. It gets harder the more distant you are from the founder.” James Ferragamo on balancing heritage with outside talent

14

This week’s FN takes an inside look at the most powerful families that have defi ned the footwear industry.

ON THE COVER Photographed by DANILO SCARPATI

Clockwise from far left: Diego Di San Giuliano, Giovanna Gentile Ferragamo, Ferruccio Ferragamo, James Ferragamo

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The most read stories on FootwearNews.com last week.T R A F F I C R E P O R T

2ALL THE FLATS ‘WONDER

WOMAN’ GAL GADOT WORE INSTEAD OF HIGH HEELS ON PRESS TOUR

Women started o� June with a bang, both

with FN’s Women in Power issue coming

out and the summer blockbuster “Wonder

Woman,” which stars Gal Gadot.

32017 CFDA RED CARPET LOOKS

Fashion’s big night out this month

did not disappoint, with Lupita Nyong’o

sporting Paul Andrew sandals, Amber

Valletta wearing Stuart Weitzman strappy

pumps, Nicole Kidman in Giuseppe

Zanotti heels and many more A-listers

on the step-and-repeat.

4MELANIA TRUMP SHIMMERS

IN HEAD-TO-TOE CHAMPAGNE AT FORD’S THEATRE GALA

As a newly minted Washington, D.C., resident,

the fi rst lady attended the annual Ford’s

Theatre Gala in Manolo Blahnik pumps and a

Monique Lhullier silky gown.

5CELEBRITIES AT THE VEUVE CLICQUOT POLO CLASSIC

Adidas brand ambassador Kendall

Jenner, model Coco Rocha, actress

Keri Russell and many more turned out

for the festive match.

6 FO OT W E A R N EWS.CO M

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FootwearNews.com last week.T R A F F I C R E P O R TT R A F F I C R E P O R T

Women started o� June with a bang, both

with FN’s Women in Power issue coming

out and the summer blockbuster “Wonder

MELANIA TRUMP SHIMMERS IN HEAD-TO-TOE CHAMPAGNE

As a newly minted Washington, D.C., resident,

Theatre Gala in Manolo Blahnik pumps and a

CELEBRITIES AT THE VEUVE

1KENDALL JENNER &

ALESSANDRA AMROSIO EMBRACE BRALESS

EDGY STYLEWhile summer is technically not yet

here, celebrities have been embracing the braless trend. And some, like Kendall

Jenner, are taking it a step further, pairing the look with pointy boots,

an unusual choice for the temperatures.

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sporting Paul Andrew sandals, Amber

Valletta wearing Stuart Weitzman strappy

pumps, Nicole Kidman in Giuseppe

Zanotti heels and many more A-listers

MELANIA TRUMP SHIMMERS IN HEAD-TO-TOE CHAMPAGNE

AT FORD’S THEATRE GALAAs a newly minted Washington, D.C., resident,

the fi rst lady attended the annual Ford’s

Theatre Gala in Manolo Blahnik pumps and a

CELEBRITIES AT THE VEUVE CLICQUOT POLO CLASSIC

Adidas brand ambassador Kendall

Jenner, model Coco Rocha, actress

Keri Russell and many more turned out

Hana

wea

rs Risa

sand

als

Ava

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and

at aldoshoes.com

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FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT LAUREN SCHOR, ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER AT 212 256 8118 OR LSCHOR@FOOTWEARNEWS.COM

THE P OWER OF CONTENT

TRADE SHOW PLANNER

ISSUE June 26CLOSE DATE June 14

A RM K Y O U R

C A L E N D AC RR

FN_HAD_INTER_TRADESHOW_05.29.indd 2 5/25/17 9:59 AM

Illustrations by MARIO WAGNER 9

As rapid changes redefine the retail landscape, the future of thousands of its workers hangs in the balance.

By Sheena Butler-Young*NA

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I N S I D E RIt’s been about two years since Nine West handed Kay Johnson* her walking papers. ➵ Grappling with stagnant sales and a lack of profitabil-ity, Jones Group — then owner of Nine West and Easy Spirit stores — had announced its plans to shutter 170 doors over a 15-month period. ➵ Having survived mul-tiple layoffs and owner-ship changes during her 20-plus years with the company, Kay — a manager earning $38 an hour at a top-performing New York store — was hopeful that the scenar-io would once again play out in her favor. ➵ “I had worked at [several] stores that the com-pany needed to close [for various reasons] over the years, but as a store would close, I would be moved to another location,” Kay, a single mother of two, said. ➵ As Nine West and Easy Spirit stores throughout the region shuttered, Kay clung to the belief that she could stay on board with the company, which had promoted her — a high school gradu-ate — from an entry-level role earning $9 an hour to a management posi-tion making four times that amount.

10

On Jan. 31, 2015, she was laid o� when the

company shuttered one of its few remaining New

York-based Nine West doors in a bid to cut costs

and stay afl oat. In March 2017, after months of

searching — and barely getting by as the money

from her severance package dried up — Kay

landed a management role at an Aerosoles store

in New York. But she is still clawing her way out

of fi nancial strain.

For better or worse, retail is at a critical

infl ection point. Bankruptcy fi lings are piling up

at a record pace, and hundreds of layo� s at once-

thriving retail destinations are becoming par for

the course.

The Sports Authority, City Sports and mall

staples Wet Seal and The Limited are among

the names appearing on retail tombstones as

consumers rapidly change the way they spend

money and e-commerce heavy hitter Amazon

gobbles up market share.

While they have kept Chapter 11 fi lings at bay,

department stores such as Macy’s, JCPenney and

Nordstrom have had to slash hundreds of jobs

over the past year and a half. Although much has

been said of the strategy of fashion fi rms in the

midst of a supposed “retail apocalypse,” the futures

of thousands of workers who rely on the retail

sector to support their families are at stake.

Today, there is mounting urgency around the

need to address retail’s apparent downfall. How-

ever, the situation has been years in the making.

Charting the CourseKay’s circumstance is unnervingly illustrative

of the paradoxes that have long defi ned retail —

particularly at the store level.

On one hand, it’s an industry that provides

access to “the American dream” to the most

disenfranchised segments of the population. On

the other, it places the fi nancial future of many of

its workers in fi ckle hands — making their hard-

fought aspirations both uncertain and fl eeting.

The retail industry supports about 42 million

American jobs, according to the National Retail

Federation.

Matt Priest, president and CEO of the Footwear

Retailers & Distributors of America, said retail’s

role as a “huge employment engine” makes the

sector a source of tremendous opportunity but —

at times — even greater challenges.

“It is one of those [industries] where the bar-

rier of entry is pretty low,” Priest said, noting that

entry-level roles typically require good people

skills. “I’m all about innovation and empowering

people. One of the things we often talk about with

policymakers and other stakeholders is the need

for a variety of di� erent opportunities for every

socioeconomic level that there is.”

As store closures, dwindling retail employment

numbers and talks of an industrywide Armaged-

don dominate headlines, some economists have

countered that the industry is undergoing

a necessary pruning while a post-

recession economy works toward

self-correction. “It seems that

our economy is going through

a maturation process where

we’re moving toward dif-

ferent industries that will

require higher skills and

more in depth and broader

education,” Priest said.

Creating higher-paying

jobs that could hire some of

retail’s ousted workers may

also address another huge chal-

lenge impacting retail. According

to Neal Newman, president of

the charitable organization Two

Ten Footwear Foundation, the

industry has struggled to o� er

reasonable wages to workers for

years.

“If you have just one unfore-

seen event — a car that needs

to be repaired, a prescription

that needs to be fi lled or a kid’s

schoolbook that needs to be

bought — that single event is enough to be a ca-

tastrophe when living on a retail wage,” Newman

said. “Retail wages have not grown with infl ation,

and when you do the macroeconomic evaluation

of what is a living wage, you discover that retail

across the U.S. isn’t keeping pace.”

Case in point: In the midst of one of several

transitional periods that Nine West has experi-

enced over the years, in 2011, Kay’s hours were

signifi cantly cut and she found herself living in

her car with her teenage son.

Newman said his organization, which o� ers

resources and support to workers in the footwear

industry, has fi elded calls from struggling retail

employees — like Kay — at an unprecedented rate

in recent months.

“Undoubtedly, there has been [an uptick] in the

number of people reaching out to us in the last

two or three quarters,” Newman said. “This year,

we’ll likely exceed our budget for the emergency

fund — which we call our Common Good Fund.”

(Two Ten has several types of endowments, includ-

ing a disaster relief fund and a cancer care fund.

The Common Good Fund is designed to help “shoe

people” struggling with an extraordinary fi nancial

setback or family crisis.)

Newman said the organization set a budget of

$1.8 million for its Common Good Fund at the

start of the year but is now on track to

surpass it.

“With the experience we’ve

had over the last few quar-

ters, we’ve proposed a bud-

get of $1.95 million for [the

Common Good Fund] next

year,” Newman added.

A New DayMany experts believe that

retail’s fractured framework

will yield a new era in which

jobs may be di� erent but, never-

theless, plentiful.

According to evidence com-

piled by economist Michael

Mandel of the Progressive

Policy Institute, from 2007 to

2016, the e-commerce sector

created 355,000 new jobs,

which was more than enough

to compensate for the jobs lost

at physical stores.

Many footwear and

apparel fi rms — DSW,

Nordstrom and JCPenney are examples —

have beefed up their omnichannel initiatives

by leveraging their stores as online fulfi llment

centers. Others have hired digital and social

media teams to boost their online presence

and help them meet lofty e-commerce goals —

evidence that some lost jobs are indeed yielding

new opportunities.

“The industry is undergoing a period of

radical transformation, and [in the future] there

will be more tech jobs and more distribution

center fulfi llment jobs,” explained Je� Van

Sinderen, an analyst with B. Riley & Co. LLC.

Still, he said, it’s not clear whether new roles

will be fi lled by workers who were on the “old

brick-and-mortar front lines of retail.”

Nevertheless, some companies — Walmart,

for example — are fi nding unique ways to make

use of the human workers they already employ.

This month, president and CEO of Walmart

e-commerce Marc Lore said the company would

begin testing out “associate delivery,” which would

allow workers to earn extra income by physically

delivering online orders to customers’ homes.

“The advancements being made in robotics

will replace a lot of human work, and more of

the jobs of the future will be tech jobs in retail,”

Van Sinderen said. “As far as the macroeconomic

picture, slow-growth mode continues, and the

upheaval in the retail industry probably does

not help in the immediate term. [But] as people

who are displaced learn new skills, that should

normalize over the longer term.” ❚

“Just one unforeseen event

can be catastrophic when living on a retail wage.”

Neal Newman

DATA DIVEKey employment and wage statistics for the retail industry right now.

9,000 average number of jobs the

retail industry has lost per month so far in 2017

355,000number of new jobs created

by e-commerce between 2007 and 2016$13.01

average hourly wage for retail

salespersons in 2016

42Mtotal number of jobs supported

by the retail industry

1 in 3 RETAIL SALESPERSONS WORK PART TIME$2

7,060

aver

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201

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6,000 average number

of jobs lost at department

stores per month during the past

six months Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Progressive Policy Institute and the National Retail Federation

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Spy

Baller StatusNBA star Dwyane Wade talks new collections on Amazon Fashion and being style-savvy in basketball.

By Peter Verry

D wyane Wade is making the most of his NBA o� season, working to further bolster his presence as a style infl uencer. The basketball star teamed with Amazon Fashion to unveil his latest capsule collections,

boasting more than 100 men’s o� erings. The capsule includes his sock line with Stance and Way of Wade sneakers, a subsidiary of China-based athletic standout Li-Ning. To celebrate the unveiling of the lineup — which is avail-able now — the Chicago Bulls guard and his wife, actress Gabrielle Union, attended a dinner last week at The Flower Shop, a New York restaurant. At the event, which was hosted by Amazon Fashion, Wade told Spy how fashion became prevalent in the league. “As athletes, what we did was make it competitive among each other. Everybody wanted the walk into the arena to be their runway because they were talking about our outfi ts on TV,” he said. “It became a di� erent kind of competition before the game.” Wade noted that he believes ballers became fashion-obsessed roughly 10 years ago, around the time when then NBA commissioner David Stern instituted a leaguewide dress code. With a legacy on the court as an all-time great solidifi ed, the Chicago native now hopes to earn his stripes for his fashion acumen — particularly with his Way of Wade sneakers. “I was with Converse for a while, [then] I decided to go to Jordan Brand,” Wade said. “After that I decided I want to do something for myself, I want to build a business and a brand. With Li-Ning, I had the opportunity to build something.”

I N S I D E R 11

Winner’s CircleCoach’s Stuart Vevers took home the Accessory Designer of the Year prize at the Council of Fashion Designers of America Awards last week, and for the company’s CEO, Victor Luis, this probably didn’t come as a surprise. “With Stuart at the helm, we decided to go [all]-in, and it started with us presenting a full life-style view of who the Coach woman and man is,” Luis said at the FN CEO Summit in Miami last month. “Stuart’s vision of bringing Coach to a relevant American context has been a very important part of [the] transformation.” — Nikara Johns

Picture PerfectThis summer, look for the work of fi ne-art photographer Gray Malin on a pair of kicks rather than a living room wall. A series of the Los Angeles-based photographer’s images, evoking the essence of summer wanderlust, will be featured on Sperry’s Cloud unisex slip-on. “You can slip them on day to night and enjoy the lifestyle my photogra-phy brings,” said Malin about marrying the iconic look with photos of Rio de Janeiro’s beaches, Bora Bora and Miami’s South Beach. Malin, who grew up wearing Sperry, said: “When you plan an outfi t, let the shoes have the moment.

They allow the audience to take a piece of the art with them.” The three-style collection is the

second for Malin and Sperry, and will be available June 21 online and

at Sperry stores for $90. — Barbara

Schneider-Levy

Dwyane Wade,Gabrielle

Union

HEYDAYSThe 1990s resurgence is in full effect these days as Bela Hadid, Kendall Jenner and

the like continue to rock former trends

such as platforms, fanny packs and small shades. Celebrity stylist Elizabeth Saltzman spoke to FN on the era’s revival, fresh off her collaboration with Rocket Dog, which revamped the label’s ’90s-style signature platform flip-flops for a capsule collection. “Everything is cyclical in life,” she said. “We had a long moment with the

’70s; we’ve had every-thing.” Saltzman believes the deaths of megastars such as David Bowie and Prince have something to do with it. “I relate a lot to music. Even Guns N’ Roses going on tour again is interesting. Things are speeding up so much.” — Nikara Johns

Since partnering with the athletic outfi t, Wade has signed basketball standouts such as Udonis Haslem and Terrence Ross, and introduced several signature shoes. And after the three-time NBA champion decides to walk away from the game, Wade confi rmed he will continue to deliver shoes bearing his name.

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HÉ

he world of e-com-

merce is abuzz with

news of LVMH’s first

multibrand website,

24Sèvres.com. The

platform is a digital extension of

Le Bon Marché, the LVMH-owned

luxury Parisian department store,

and the new site takes its name

from Bon Marché’s street address,

24 rue de Sèvres.

“Our clients are highly sophis-

ticated and always in search of

creativity and innovation. With the

launch of 24 Sèvres, we are offering

them a truly differentiated online

experience built on our unique

expertise at Le Bon Marché,”

Bernard Arnault, chairman and

CEO of LVMH, said in a statement.

To celebrate the launch, the site

is offering a capsule collection of

exclusive collaborations with 68

Parisian and international brands —

from both within and outside of the

LVMH stable. Each has customized

its most iconic products, often with

the input of a Parisian ambassador

or a friend of the brand.

On the shoe front, Roger Vivier

has tapped brand ambassador Inès

de la Fressange to create Breton

striped ballet flats, while Nicholas

Kirkwood has teamed up with

Parisian illustrator Nix on a hand-

painted version of his Beya loafers.

And Pierre Hardy has joined forces

with artist Mathias Kiss on slider

sneakers with a flatform sole in

gold leaf. Salvatore Ferragamo shoe

designer Paul Andrew also crafted

three exclusive mules.

The department store’s brick-

and-mortar location is already well-

known for its designer exclusives.

Last year, Bon Marché took this

notion to the next level, opening a

personalization studio for denim.

In April, the shoe department

introduced L’Atelier du Soulier, a

new section within the women’s

shoe floor devoted entirely to the

customization of footwear. Both are

operated by denim specialist Notify.

“Personalization is a very strong

trend,” said shoe buyer Morgane

Toullec. “We started with denim and

are now capitalizing on its success,

as we knew there was room for

shoes to be customized as well.” She

added that while concepts such as

Nike iD are commonplace, “the idea

for this new initiative is that you

can personalize any kind of shoe

— sneakers, ballerinas, espadrilles,

derbies and everything in between.”

Footwear is, after all, the

best-performing out of the store’s

accessories. “It is 50 percent of the

category,” said Toullec, who cited

Christian Louboutin, Valentino and

Roger Vivier as leading brands in

the luxury shoe contingent.

The shoe floor is a sprawling

space bathed in natural light.

Its centerpiece is an atrium with

restored period glass canopies and

surrounded by a series of open

rooms. Half of the assortment

features exclusive brands or styles

specially made for the store — and

there is an ever-changing roster of

designer pop-ups. (Ancient Greek

sandals are one of the current

inhabitants.)

Coinciding with the launch

of the footwear personalization

service, the floor has been slightly

reconfigured (Bon Marché main-

tains a team of 20 architects to

realize such projects). The sports

and streetwear categories (brands

from Nike and Adidas to Off White,

Yeezy and Fenty Puma), which lend

themselves most easily to person-

alization, have been moved to an

area adjacent to the atelier. Myriad

options include patches, studs and

jewels, bespoke embroidery, laser

printing and specially commissioned

artwork.

For example, one customer

recently requested that her name

be added in gold thread on the

side of a pair of Stella McCartney’s

Elyse platform Oxfords. Another

asked for a pearl-studded version

of Adidas’ signature stripes to be

incorporated on her Stan Smiths

(the Parisians’ off-duty shoes of

choice). “We saw a big shift in

customer attitude and demand,

so we adapted our offering

accordingly,” Toullec said.

Footwear News tested the

service, choosing a standard navy

plimsoll shoe. The Bon Marché team

hand-painted an F on one shoe and

an N on the other in a Cyrillic-style

font. A piercing on the back of each

heel completed an on-trend gothic

punk theme.

As part of the service, three full-

time staffers offer design advice and

operate the atelier’s seven machines.

Basic additions can be executed

while shoppers wait, but if they

want to devise their own shoe from

scratch, the construction is executed

in a factory in Italy and can take

around three weeks. Prices start at

around $25, and there are only a few

limitations. “We can’t fake a Chanel

CC or give you red Louboutin soles,”

laughed Toullec, “but we can pretty

much do everything else as long as

it’s feasible.” ❚

12 I N S I D E R

Le Bon Marché is going global with the launch of digital platform 24Sèvres.com, but it’s also pushing the boundaries closer to home. By Stephanie Hirschmiller

Paris Match

T

“We can’t fake a Chanel CC or give

you red Louboutin soles, but we can pretty much do

everything else.”Morgane Toullec

Inside the Bon Marchécustomization studio

Custom CrazeA number of brands in the Paris market are making waves with customization, from high-end patina and demi-bespoke initiatives to fun embellishments.

At Francesco Russo, a selection of classic styles has been created in natural unbleached leathers. Customers simply choose their size and desired color palette, and the elected model will be lacquered and ready for collection in 48 hours. The service debuted last year at the designer’s rue de Valois boutique in Paris and is launching this month at New York’s Nordstrom department store along with a six-week made-to-order service.

Luxe Italian menswear label Berluti debuted a women’s footwear collection for spring, and the house also operates hand-painted patina and other specialization services — both out of selected boutiques and its Le Bon Marché concession.

Francois du Chastel’s Chatelles Paris slipper label started out doing traditional dress slippers for women, inspired by those worn by Prince Albert, husband of British monarch Queen Victoria. It has since branched out into mules, but there’s been a custom element from the get-go, with options to choose tassels, patches and initials online and at the label’s Paris boutique.

A Berluti custom

shoe

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The Ivanka Trump brand is attempting to steer clear of the melee surrounding a China-based factory that once made shoes for its label. Company president Abigail Klem said that the brand hasn’t worked with the factory — which has been the subject of an investigation by New York-based China Labor Watch — since March. Last month, three

activists working for the advocacy group went missing after they attempted to investigate conditions at factories that produce shoes for several U.S. brands, including the Ivanka Trump Collection. After reports surfaced that the activists had been detained by the Chinese government, the U.S. State Department urged China to release the detainees and “otherwise a� ord them the judicial and fair trial protections to which they are entitled.”

Mickey Drexler Exits J.Crew CEO SpotMillard “Mickey” Drexler is stepping down as CEO of the J.Crew Group in July after 14 years at the company. Drexler, who will remain chairman, is to be succeeded by James Brett, who was president at West Elm for seven years. The news comes two months after the announcement of Jenna Lyons’ departure. The former president and creative director had been at the company for 26 years. J.Crew has been facing major challenges recently.

Brooks O� ers $1 to RunnersBrooks Sports Inc. o� ered runners their own endorsement deals last week to celebrate Global Running Day. In creat-ing what Brooks calls the “biggest team of o� cially endorsed athletes ever,” the company sent checks for $1 to athletes in the U.S. and Canada who signed up to become ambassadors via brooksathlete.com. In addition to being o� cially endorsed and receiving $1, the Brooks Big Endorsement initiative o� ered access to expert content about training, nutri-tion and other running-related topics.

Ivanka Trump Brand Talks Factory Woes

QUOTES OF THE WEEKOverheardin the industry.

“The sad thing is, there is no law that protects intellectual property in the fashion industry, but that doesn’t mean I can’t call it out.” Designer Phillip Lim posted on Instagram after accusing Topshop of copying his designs.

“I think it’s unfortunate, the response that the current first lady got from designers in regards to dressing her. We all should respect the office, and it shouldn’t become a political thing.” Designer Thom Browne in an interview with Surface magazine on dressing Melania Trump.

“I want to stay innovative and on trend, but also ahead of the trend. I design for me and what I think I — and every girl — needs in her closet, which is the same concept as my blog.” WeWoreWhat blogger Danielle Bernstein on her shoe line, Archive Shoes.

INSTAGRAMS OF THE WEEKThe 5 most-liked photos from @FootwearNews.

TO P STO RY

W H A T ’ S T R E N D I N G

The Zarina from @sanayi313 #sotw #FNsotw

Rosy metallic tints and twisted details @rupertsanderson

2

For resort ’18, Charlotte Olympia was inspired by disco.

3

@stevemadden’s fall ‘17 campaign launch party shoes.

4

@gabrielahearst’s resort ‘18 collection is all about heel.

5

I N S I D E R 13

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Father and son: Ferruccio Ferragamo

and James Ferragamo shot for FN on May 25 at the

Palazzo Spini Feroni in Florence, Italy

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15Photographs by DA N I LO SCA R PAT I

O n a balmy Thursday in

Florence, James Ferragamo,

grandson of Salvatore

Ferragamo, is playing tour

guide at his company head-

quarters — the 11th century Palazzo

Spini Feroni overlooking the winding

River Arno.

Ferragamo, the director of men’s and

women’s shoes and the leather division,

is proudly highlighting all the patents

mounted on the walls of the dining

room: the undulating cork wedge with

its layerlike rock formations; the Gloved

Arch, which swathes the entire foot in

leather; and the iconic F Wedge.

When Ferragamo spots the glass

wedge patent, he proudly recalls his

grandfather’s unwavering focus on

innovation. “He created the concept of

covering a wedge with glass and then

breaking it with a little hammer to get a

shattered effect. He made it for Carmen

Miranda in the 1950s.”

Another cabinet contains replica

lasts that the house’s late founder

made for Hollywood royalty, including

Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn.

The family’s rags-to-riches story

has all the makings of a film classic

reminiscent of the icons the company

has dressed over the years. From its

humble beginnings, Ferragamo has

grown into one of Italy’s most powerful

fashion companies. Last year, it posted

sales of 1.4 billion euros, or $1.6 billion.

While the company has dramatically

evolved since its inception, one thing

has remained the same: The business

has always been a family affair.

After an FN photo shoot with his

dad, aunt and cousin, James Ferragamo

opened up about his unique experience

at the company and the lessons he’s

learned along the way.

Your grandfather died before you were born. What do you wish you could have talked to him about? I would have loved to have met him to

understand his character and relentless

Ninety years ago, Salvatore Ferragamo revolutionized the shoe industry with his singular

vision and limitless passion. Today his family is carrying on his legacy and reflecting on the company’s

rich past to help chart its future evolution.

By STEPHANIE HIRSCHMILLER

All InThe

Family

16 FO OT W E A R N EWS.CO M

drive. He made his first pair of shoes at

nine, was working in a store in Naples at

11 and set sail for the U.S. at 16. He came

from a very poor family and had nothing

to lose, but it’s still difficult to believe that

someone at that age would do that. He was

a risk-taker. He bought this place [Palazzo

Spini Feroni] in 1938 during the Second

World War, paying in installments. The

deal stipulated that if he missed one pay-

ment during the term, he would forfeit the

lot. I would love to understand that daring.

He was known for crafting so many iconic shoes. What was his creative process like? He was such an inventor. Sure, he was

fixated on shoes, but he also drew plans for

leg braces and even submarines. He had an

inherent desire to create. For him, it wasn’t

so much a question of success. It was more

about doing and being innovative, as that

was what he enjoyed.

Like your grandfather, you went to the U.S. at an early age and worked at Saks Fifth Avenue. You also interned at Goldman Sachs in London. How did these roles inform your experience?I found the stock market very interesting,

but there was no tangible product, so I

felt that something was missing for me. It

was also very much numeric as opposed

to telling the story of the company you are

promoting and what it means. At Saks, I

was in buying and distribution. That was a

fascinating job. It’s actually one of the most

difficult roles, as you have to cater to a

population with such a vast taste selection.

You first joined the company in 1998. What is the best part of being involved in a family business? That it was created by my grandfather.

For me, to be part of the third generation

and to work with this amazing team is an

incredible feeling and an amazing honor.

What is the most challenging part of being in a family business? Sometimes it’s difficult not to cross

the line when you have multiple bosses.

For example, I can’t talk to my father

[Ferruccio Ferragamo] without talking to

the CEO [Eraldo Poletto] because he is my

direct boss. You need to maintain that

corporate approach and not play one

person against the other. I couldn’t do that.

I went to school in England, so they say

I’m “very proper.”

What is the biggest conflict you have had over the years, and how was it resolved?You’ve got to remember, this is an

Italian company, so people talk with their

hands. There’s always a full-on argument.

In the past, you would hear my aunt

Fiamma shouting at her brother Jerry

from the next room. When my grandfather

passed away, Jerry wanted to replicate

the handmade shoes in a more industrial

way, so they argued about design versus

industrialization. It was always for the

good of the company, though, and no one

held a grudge. I don’t shout. You can do

that within a family, but not when there

are external managers involved. The third

generation — my cousins Angelica, Diego

and myself — we’re more civilized when we

get together.

From left: James Ferragamo, Ferruccio

Ferragamo, Giovanna Gentile Ferragamo,

Diego Di San Giuliano

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FN_Weekly_Full_Page_Bleed.indd 1 6/5/17 5:22 PM

18 FO OT W E A R N EWS.CO M

What have you learned from your father?My father is amazing. He has dedicated his

life to growing the company, bringing it

forward and guiding the business in terms

of strategic opportunities. He has also

protected it. He was CEO until 2006 when

he became chairman. He is meticulous and

grounded. I can sometimes be too theoreti-

cal, but he always talks in a very concrete

way, and he reminds me, “You’ve got to

make it happen.” But he has always been

very fair.

You have a twin brother, Salvatore, who works in the family vineyard. How has his experience been different from yours? When he was growing up, he loved the

outdoors, so that was always very natural

for him. We have an amazing wine estate my

father purchased in 1993; it’s attached to a

small 13th century village close to Arezzo.

He works on both the distribution and

develops new products. He’s also in the

process of building a golf course there.

Ferragamo has a rule that only three third-generation family members can be directly involved operating the business. How does it work?It was created in 1997 before we went public.

It is looked on favorably by the analysts,

as they see that there is the right balance

between family members and non-family

members. In the third generation, there is

myself, Angelica [Visconti], who is the direc-

tor for southern Europe, and Diego [Di San

Giuliano], who is the family representative

on the board and responsible for e-commerce.

Ferragamo has been adding non-family members to the design and executive teams, including your current CEO. How has this strategy shaped the company? My father always reminds me that the

biggest risk for a family business is when it

gets to the third generation. It gets harder

the more distant you are from the founder.

From a statistical standpoint, that is when

businesses fail. But if you look at the stats,

those businesses tend to be where only the

family is involved. So you need to ensure

that the management is made up of the

best talent.

You have brought in Paul Andrew as footwear design director. What prompted this decision, and what drew you to Andrew in particular?Paul is an amazing talent. When we first

met, it was more about his vision for the

company than the shoes themselves. He

came up with the “high tech meets high

craft” concept. He is about creating shoes

that have that legacy. He dresses women

from the shoes up. Ferragamo started out

as a shoe company, after all. Paul is also

all about embracing all the small details

that make a shoe timeless, and never

compromises on fit and comfort. That is so

Ferragamo.

What do you suppose your grandfather would think of the company today in this digital-obsessed era?He would have been on that before anybody

else. He would also probably have made

the lightest sports shoe before anybody else

because he was such a fanatic about innova-

tion in general. He created an over-the-knee

sock boot in 1925. We have a saying in the

family that everything has already been

created by my grandfather.

What other family-run businesses do you particularly admire?The Antinori family. They are 26th-

generation winemakers with an amazing

vineyard just outside of Florence.

What would you like your own legacy to be?That I have continued to fulfill the dream

of my grandfather to make Salvatore

Ferragamo one of the world’s leading

brands. There is still a lot of work to do.

THE MATRIARCHWanda Ferragamo, James’ grandmother, is the honorary chairman and a huge force. Here, the younger Ferragamo talks about her contributions.

On stepping into her late

husband’s shoes:

“She has dedicated her life to the

pursuit of what he wanted the brand

to become. It was only a women’s

shoe label when he died. There are not

many brands that would have been

able to progress in such a way.”

On her guiding principles:

“She gave a silver doll to every single

Ferragamo cousin. There are 23 of us.

The doll has a weight at the bottom.

When it falls over, it comes back up.

It is to remind us not to be scared of

failing. If you are scared of making

errors, you’re not going to go very far.”

On her collection of letters:

“We keep her letters in four volumes

of this red book. She wrote us stories

about her father: how he was involved

in the First World War and the difficul-

ties he had to go through as a doctor. I

look them over a lot with my kids.”

19FO OT W E A R N EWS.CO M

The ShoeDynasties An inside look at the most powerful

families that have transcended the generations. By FN STAFF

The FishersThe shoe business has been in the family blood for many decades. Sam Fisher was a founding member of the Two Ten Footwear Foundation, and his son Jerome Fisher — who died last year — famously co-founded Nine West and transformed the indus-try. “My father strongly believed in quality and fit. He taught me to not cut corners on the product and to deliver value to our cus-tomers,” Marc Fisher said.

Today, Marc — whose late sister Jodi co-founded the Shoes on Sale breast cancer fundraiser — continues to rapidly expand his own namesake business, Marc Fisher Footwear. Marc’s children Adam, Amanda and Lauren all work along-side their father.

“I’ve been given the incredible opportunity to work alongside my kids every day. I get updates on my grandkids at the same time that I get updates on shoe samples,” Marc said. “I’ve also come to realize that my kids teach me as much as I teach them. I made a conscious effort not to push my kids into the footwear industry, but now that they’re at the com-pany, it’s gratifying to see four generations of family involved.”

The Rossis“Everything I know about shoes I learned from my dad,” said Gianvito Rossi of shoe legend Sergio Rossi. Living in a house on top of his father’s factory in Italy’s San Mauro Pascoli,

I t’s been 116 years since John W. Nordstrom and his friend Carl F. Wallin opened a

shoe store in Seattle. That fateful decision laid the foundation for the Nordstrom family to build the company into the department store powerhouse it is today. The fourth-generation co-presidents, Blake, Pete and Erik Nordstrom, have risen through the ranks with their tire-less work ethic and unwavering passion.

“We all started out in the stockroom and worked our way down the pyramid in various roles throughout,” Pete told FN. “We literally grew up in the business, and we’re all true merchants. Now, as co-presidents, it’s the sum of our experiences that we feel serve us best.”

The Nordstroms have fostered a familial spirit throughout the company. “We want all employees to feel as though it’s their name on the door and that they are empowered to do whatever it takes to serve the customer

on their terms,” Blake explained. “Our open-door policy is connected to the idea that we all have a stake in this together. It’s up to each of us to play our role in delivering the best experience for the customer.”

The brothers and their cousin Jamie Nordstrom (EVP and president of stores) are forging ahead with an ambitious strategy, including making a major statement in the New York market. And the company’s rich history is top-of-mind as the Nordstroms eye the future. (Last week, the family said it was exploring a deal to take the retailer private.)

“The current pace of change is challenging, particularly when you’re fortunate enough to have a reputation that has been built by the generations before us,” Erik said. “We don’t take that for granted but also understand the need to quickly evolve with the customer’s expectations.”

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the young Gianvito grew up totally immersed in the Sergio Rossi business. The two worked side by side until the company was bought by Gucci Group (now Kering) in 1999. Seven years later, Gianvito launched his own namesake business. “He was naturally upset at having sold the company,” said Gianvito of his father, “but he is very proud of the fact that the family is still doing the same high-quality work. His mantra is: You can always do better.” Gianvito’s own son Nicola is now involved as well, in the merchandis-ing department. “When you are in a family business, it’s very difficult to separate life from work, and people expect a lot from you,” Gianvito observed, “but I hope that pressure won’t disengage him from staying in this fantastic world.”

The RubinsUnder Stephen Rubin, Pentland Group transformed from a small wholesale business founded in 1932 by his parents, Berko and Minnie, into a major global player. Stephen put the company on the map in a big way when he acquired a majority stake in Reebok for $77,500. He sold off the stake a decade later for $770 million and went on to assemble a portfolio of top owned and licensed brands, including Hunter, Kickers, Lacoste, Speedo and SeaVees. Now the third and fourth generations, includ-ing Stephen’s children, Andy and Carrie, are helping lead the London-based firm, which also owns a majority stake in U.K. retail chain JD Sports.

Andy, who serves as chair-man of the brand manage-ment division, said family companies like Pentland have a unique dynamic. “It’s much more than busi-ness because it’s a family business,” he explained. “It carries on around the dinner table. That means there is emotion in every decision. But we get to spend a lot of time together, agreeing on long-term objectives and deciding how to get there.”

Still, sharing the same

last name isn’t an automatic entrée into the company. New family members are encouraged to get the best education they can and spend some time working elsewhere first. Once they join, Rubin said, they must work hard and stay humble. “You’ll rise up if you are good enough.”

The GreenbergsRobert and Michael Greenberg are the ultimate father-son duo. Their storied

three-decade partnership hit a critical turning point in the ’90s when the two left LA Gear, the sneaker company founded by the elder Greenberg in 1979. (Robert was forced out of the company after it went public, and Michael was let go soon after.)

That fateful day 25 years ago would jump-start Skechers, now a $3.56 billion performance and lifestyle sneaker brand selling more than 3,000 designs for men,

women and children.“Starting a business with

your family is both personal and professional, and you have the unique advantage of knowing their strengths the moment you hit the ground running — and you can call them all hours of the night and weekend when needed,” said Mi-chael Greenberg, Skechers’ president.

The executive’s brothers, Josh, Jeff and Jason, also work at the company — along with Michael’s son Chase.

The CampbellsLike father, like son. Bob and Seth Campbell both spend hundreds of days a year on the road — in factories in China and trade shows in Las Vegas.

“My father taught me the value of hard work,” Seth Campbell, VP of internation-al sales, told FN this year. “For each of his children, he taught us something dif-ferent. He had an intuition I would work with him one day. He always taught me to be aware of my surround-ings and make sure I am prepared to give back, to do right by the people around me. He also taught me that I shouldn’t take for granted what I have been given.”

When he was 13, Seth visited factories in China, seeing up close how samples were made, and testing first-run pairs. The mys-tique of traveling appealed to Seth — and helped convince him to officially join the family business in 2013. “My dad was always on the road,” the younger Campbell told FN in 2015. “I always felt he was doing this crazy, exciting job. He’d call and say, ‘I’m in China,’ or, ‘I’m in Vietnam.’ And I always wanted to do the same thing.”

The ColesKenneth and Neil Cole have both made major marks on the business over the years. Of course, the brothers had footwear in their blood: Their father, Charles Cole, created the Candie’s brand.

For Kenneth, the deci-sion to launch Kenneth Cole Productions in 1983

was never in his life plan. “I didn’t really intend to come into the business,” he told FN several years ago. “I went to law school, and one summer I worked in the sample room [at my father’s company] and I kind of liked it. I loved the con-cept of being able to create something from nothing.”

Today, the designer — who received the inaugural Swarovski Award for posi-tive change last week at the Council of Fashion Design-ers of America Awards — still helms his namesake company and also devotes a huge amount of time to social causes, particularly amfAR and AIDS research.

Neil headed up Candie’s and later became chair-man, CEO and president of licensing-and-branding firm Iconix Brand Group. (He stepped down in 2015 and is now working on a new venture.) “The biggest thing Charlie taught me was work ethic,” Neil recalled about his dad in an FN interview. “When we were working summers at the factory, we would get woken up at 5 a.m. and delivered back home at 7 p.m. He had an incredible passion for business — and shoes.”

The CamutosIndustry icon Vince Camu-to, who died in 2015, spent five decades redefining the footwear industry with his winning approach to both design and retailing.

The co-founder of Nine West went on to create yet another empire, the Camuto Group. His family is carry-ing on his legacy: Alex Del Cielo, the company’s CEO, is Vince’s nephew by marriage.

Louise Camuto, Vince’s wife, serves as chief creative officer at the firm, while his son John is a manager in the design department. When FN gave the elder Camuto its Lifetime Achievement Award in 2013, John recalled a trip to Brazil with his father. “All these factory owners had such great respect for my father and such loyalty to him. They would do anything for him, and he for them,” John said. “It was a great example of what he’d taught

M anolo Blahnik’s storied footwear label has been firmly ensconced in popular

culture for over four decades. The brand has al-ways been a family affair, with the eponymous creative director working shoulder to shoulder with strong women. His niece Kristina Blahnik has been CEO since 2013 when she took over the position from her mother, Evangeline, Manolo’s sister. Former architect Kristina is, according to Manolo, a real “multitasker,” and, in addition to spearheading the brand’s digital presence, this year has been masterminding retrospective exhibitions in Milan and St. Petersburg, Russia. Shows in Prague, Madrid and Toronto will follow. Of course, her uncle is still very hands-on and sketches every one of his shoe designs. Both creativity and business acumen run strong in this family.

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Shoe veteran Walter Steiger and his sons operate his brand in a Paris atelier.

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me my whole life: How you treat people is the way other people will treat you.”

The DillardsIn today’s department store industry, Dillard’s Inc. is a rare breed — a public retail company that is still managed by its founding family. Indeed, multiple generations are active in the Little Rock, Ark.-based organization, created in 1938 by William T. Dillard using $8,000 borrowed from his father. His son, William Dillard II, contin-ues to lead the now $6.2 billion firm as chairman and CEO. Also at the helm are Alex Dillard, president; Mike Dillard, EVP; and William Dillard III, SVP.

Despite a challenging selling environment, the

family is bullish about the company’s future. At its annual shareholder’s meet-ing last month, William Dillard II predicted that even as the market evolves, brick-and-mortar will remain the preferred shopping destination for customers.

To that end, in the first quarter of 2017, Dillard’s purchased a former Macy’s in Layton, Utah, and a store in Temple, Texas. At the close of Q1, it operated 268 doors and 25 clearance stores in 29 states. “We plan to be one of the survivors,” said the CEO. The BensadounsA sense of family unity is woven throughout the Aldo Group, starting with its patriarch and namesake,

Aldo Bensadoun. The native Frenchman founded his Montreal-based company in 1972 and has built it into a multibillion-dollar global operation with help from his wife and children, including son David Ben-sadoun, who was recently named CEO and will shape Aldo Group’s future.

But Mr. B, as he is affectionately known within his organization, admitted that there are challenges to working alongside family. “You have to get along very well between the members of the family for it to work, and still it’s extremely hard,” he said. “Sometimes they don’t do things the way you would want. You have to close your eyes quite often.”

However, the footwear legend also appreciates the

togetherness and freedom it provides. “The best part of having a family business is that you only have to answer to yourself. You can make long-term decisions and investments, and don’t have to answer to share-holders,” said Bensadoun. “Sometimes it’s hard, but it’s nice to be together.”

And he makes sure his company never loses sight of his roots: An olive tree planted in the center of the Aldo Group headquar-ters serves as a constant reminder of the Bensadouns’ heritage.

The ClarksSeventh-generation Galahad Clark was inspired by his family’s rich history in the shoe business, but the entrepreneur decided

to take his own path by launching his brand, Vivo Barefoot. Galahad’s dad, Lance Clark, has also carved out a unique place in the business with Soul of Africa, which helps women find sustainable employment through shoemaking. Today, Clarks is run by external executives, but a group of family members, including Galahad, still sit on the family board.

The Della VallesTod’s chief Diego Della Valle turned the family business into a global empire. His father, Dorino, and grandfa-ther, Filippo, taught him to love shoes at a very young age — and he grew up taking trips to the factory. In the 1970s, Diego created a collection of handmade leather driving mocs with distinctive pebbled soles under the Tod’s label. He went on to develop that brand into a full lifestyle collection and also made a big statement with Roger Vivier. Today, Della Valle and his brother, Andrea, share ownership of the company.

The DavisesNew Balance’s strength comes from generations of the Davis family running the show behind the scenes. Jim Davis, its current chair-man, bought the brand from owner Paul Kidd in 1972 and has since led it to the forefront of running and other performance and lifestyle categories. Other family members who have come in and helped contribute to its success include his wife, Anne, who is the vice chairman and EVP of administration; his son Chris, who is the VP

A fter 90-plus years and four generations, Schwartz & Benjamin

remains a family project — even in the hands of new parent company Steve Madden. Danny Schwartz, whose grandfather co-founded the company in 1923, took the reins in 2007. Today, his wife and two children have also taken on significant roles in the organization.

Danny’s wife, Barbara, is chief creative officer, and his son Jake David Schwartz, 30, is brand manager. His daughter, Natalie Ann Schwartz, 23, recently came on board as a design assistant.

“Fortunately we all like each other, so getting to see each other practically every day is great,” Danny said. “[The hardest part is] separating being husband and wife or father and son, mother and daughter [and so on] from being members of a business unit. But we have managed this quite well through the years by clearly defining our roles and responsibilities.”

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INDEPENDENT MINDS These retail families have survived and thrived despite considerable challenges.

On family dynamics “Lester and I laugh a lot, while Margot does her own thing, helping us out when we need her. [In fact], her [store] numbers are better than ours.”— Danny Wasserman, owner of Tip Top Shoes, on his children

On creating solid rules“Some children think they are entitled to the business, and some owners think their business is worth $100 million. Garrett and I have a buy-sell agreement. In six years he will buy me out. I built the company with a lot of sweat equity. I don’t believe in just handing it over.” — Maurice Breton, founder of Comfort One Shoes

On being the younger one“Sometimes you feel the spotlight a little more ... We maintain respect for each other and do not let any personal issues get in the way of business decisions.” — Daniel Hanig, VP of Hanig’s Footwear, on his father, Peter

On handing over the reins “It was the hardest part, but I have to let it go. Justin can now run this business. Justin’s earned the respect of the industry. People now talk to Justin. The respect has shifted to him.” —Joel Sigal, CEO of Littles Shoes, on his son

The Silvera family built Dynasty Footwear into one of the largest family shoe companies in California.

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of global marketing; and his daughter Kassia, the director of flagship store merchandising.

The FlorsheimsBrothers Tom and John Florsheim, whose grand-father Milton Florsheim founded the business in 1892, are carrying on an American footwear legacy. “There’s both a family and historical aspect to the [business],” said John, president and COO of the company, a division of The Weyco Group Inc. of Glen-dale, Wis. He attributes his father, Tom Florsheim Sr., now a board member, with establishing positive fam-ily dynamics.“We made a conscious decision that fam-ily was first,” added Tom, chairman and CEO. “Where we have disagreements, we feel relationships are more important. If John feels strongly about something and [vice versa], we defer to each other while still voicing in. We have an open relationship. It’s critical.”

The two avoid conflicts by assuming diverse duties. “We work on different parts of the business,” said John. “There’s a certain amount of overlap, and we’re glad the other person’s there.”

The Boyles Columbia was a family affair long before Gert Boyle’s beloved “Tough Mother” persona was established. Boyle’s parents, Paul and Marie Lamfrom, purchased a Portland, Ore.-based hat company upon their U.S. arrival from Germany and branded it Columbia Hat Co. in 1938. Twenty-two years later, the outfit would take on product manufactur-ing and become Columbia Sportswear Co. In the years since, Boyle, along with her son, Tim, have led Colum-bia to outdoor dominance and created a brand that’s a favorite among enthusiasts of the great outdoors. The elder Boyle, now 93, is still involved as its chairman of the board (and stars in its humorous ad campaigns), and her son serves as president and CEO. Now Tim’s son, Joe, is EVP and oversees the Columbia brand

as president. Tim’s sister, Sally Baney, also serves on Columbia’s board, and Tim’s daughter, Molly, is involved with the direct-to-consumer portion of the business.

The BirmansIn 1972, brothers Anderson and Jefferson Birman closed their eyes and selected a spot on a map of Italy. They stopped on Arezzo, a small Tuscan city, and a shoe brand was born. Today Anderson’s son Alexandre is CEO of the publicly traded Arezzo & Co., overseeing one of Brazil’s largest shoe empires, which includes his namesake label plus Arezzo, Anacapri, Schutz and the latest, Fiever. “Alexandre was born in a shoebox,” said Anderson, now chairman of Arezzo. “He was around 6 years old when he started getting interested and

would follow me [during] my daily routine at the factory. I noticed he was talented.”

The GoldmansCreating a family legacy remains top-of-mind for Chinese Laundry founder and CEO Bob Goldman and his son Stewart Goldman, who serves as COO. As the business continues to grow, challenges and changes arise, but the father-and-son duo have managed to keep conflicts under control. “Taking a small company that’s had tremendous growth and adapting some of our business principles for future scaling [has been difficult],” said Stewart. “Some processes work when you have an office of 20, but when that number swells to 200, you have to constantly re-evaluate your process.

Change is necessary at any size, and we’re adapting, but I’d be lying to say the transi-tion is easy.”

For Bob, the rewards of working with family out-weigh any obstacles. “Being able to spend time with my entire family [has been fulfilling],” he said. Lauren Goldman, Bob’s daughter, and Alexis Goldman, Stew-art’s daughter, also work in the business.

The MillersThree generations of Millers are steering the Minnetonka ship. David Miller, the third- generation CEO, works closely alongside his father, Marshall Miller, 86, who still comes to the office every day. Jori Miller, David’s daughter, serves as the VP of product development. “Watching each new generation bring their own experiences, ideas

and energy into the busi-ness helps keep the com-pany vibrant and healthy,” David said.

He added that commu-nication and work-life bal-ance are key for all family members. “We all take great pride in [the firm]; however, it is important that the busi-ness does not completely define who we are,” David said. Through the years, he has also brought on key players outside the family with industry expertise, with some sitting on the board of directors.“They play an important role in establishing accountability for those working in the business and give family not in the company the ability to see firsthand what is happening.”

The CasadeisQuinto Casadei founded the Italian shoe label with his wife back in 1958. While he’s now handed the role of creative director to his son Cesare, Quinto is still in the factory every day at 8 a.m. sharp. “He has the eye,” marveled Arianna, his granddaughter and a third-generation Casadei, who heads up marketing and communications.

In a family like this, board meetings can happen over lunch on a Sunday. There are no arguments, just “differ-ences of opinion,” laughed Cesare. Such was the case when Arianna petitioned to launch e-commerce. “I found it too cold and impersonal,” he recalled. His father also shrugged off the idea. “So we send it to a customer’s home, and if they don’t like it they send it back? What is this system?” Quinto said.

These days, the family workforce includes produc-tion manager Alessandra, Cesare’s second wife, and Arianna’s fiancé, Nicolo. There is also Blade the dog, named after that iconic Casadei heel.

The CagnersIndustry veteran Bruce Cagner founded BCNY International in 1991, quietly building a private-label powerhouse behind the scenes. His son, Evan, joined the business 10 years

T he sprawling terrace of René Caovilla’s Milan headquar-

ters affords a bird’s eye view of the city, with the gothic spires of the Duomo cathedral in the distance. A key element of the space? The metal sculpture of the brand’s signature serpent coil sandal created by second-generation leader René Caovilla in 1969. His son Edoardo is now at the helm as both CEO and creative director. It’s not an easy mix of

skills, he admits. “I don’t want to say I am the best,” he demurs, “but I did grow up smelling the per-fume of the company and seeing the previous generations doing such a great job.” And while the shoes are still created in the same factory near Venice, Edoardo has worked hard to make the brand a major global player with a diverse consumer following. Three stores, including a New York boutique, will open this year.

T H E C A O V I L L A S

22 Paul Golbert and his family have grown Pajar from a small Canadian firm into a global player.

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later, and in 2006, the two took things to the next level with the launch of a new division, Synclaire, focused on the booming branded market. “When you’re an in-dependent business owner, you never know whether there will be someone to lead your company in the fu-ture,” Bruce said. “It’s great to know the business will continue on.”

And though they some-times disagree, they always find a resolution. “As the father, I don’t let conflicts occur — it’s that simple. You can have disagreements, but ultimately you need to compromise and determine what’s best for the company rather than being stubborn and obstinate.” Added Evan, “Bruce and I always check our egos and find a way to compromise.”

The MuskatsAfter spending long hours together at their Deer Stags Concepts Inc. office, the Muskats look forward to sharing evenings and weekends. “We work hard and treat the business seriously, but the goal is to have fun and be together,” said Danny Muskat, na-tional sales manager, whose grandfather Jack and uncle Hy founded the New York-based business in 1964. The company, now headed by Danny’s father, Rick, who is EVP, and uncle Michael, who is president, has found a way to put family first without sacrificing busi-ness goals. “The fact we’re family can make arguments especially heated,” he said. “[However], the typical hierarchical barriers are more blurred, and nobody’s afraid to voice their opinion. We fight it out then go to lunch as a family.”

Rick’s other children, Jake and Jeni, are also involved in the company, in addition to several other family members.

The BrooksesRocky Brands Inc. might no longer be the small family-owned business launched in Nelsonville, Ohio, in 1932, but the Brooks family con-tinues to leave its mark on the now public company.

Jason Brooks, formerly president of U.S. wholesale, recently assumed the role of CEO from his father, Mike Brooks, whose grandfather F.M. Brooks and great uncle, William Brooks, founded the company, formerly known as the Wm. Brooks Shoe Co. “When we went public in 1993, [my siblings] and I were all partners in the business,” said Mike Brooks, who now serves as a company advisor. ”It could [have been] challenging as to where we fit into the [new] corporation at differ-ent levels, but we passed the test.” Today, there are seven members of the Brooks clan working at Rocky Brands.

The WolffsNext year, Wolff Shoe Co. will mark a major milestone: a century in business. The St. Louis-based firm — founded by Samuel Wolff and now run by his grandson Gary and great-grandson Todd — operates Marmi, a 23-store specialty retail chain featur-ing women’s shoes under the Eric Javits, Vaneli and Sesto Meucci labels, which it also sells to wholesale accounts. Todd, who serves as president, said one of the biggest advantages to working with family is how smoothly things run. “When you’ve grown up living and breathing the family busi-ness your whole life, a lot of the thought processes are passed down from genera-tion to generation.”

The LazarsMurray Friedman was con-sidered a risk-taker when he founded Harbor Footwear Group in 1969 at the age of 50. But his gamble paid off, with the company now in the hands of the third gen-eration. “There’s never been pressure for anyone to come into the business,” said grandson Jason Lazar, now COO, who works alongside his father; Dennis Lazar, CEO; and cousin Jamie Kreitzman, VP of sales for Giorgio Brutini and GBX. “It’s important they make the decision on their own.”

It wasn’t a hard choice for Jason to come on board. “It’s about being able to con-tinue a legacy,” Jason said.

But not everyone agrees on everything. “It’s important to [have] a final decision maker in advance to resolve any stalemates,” said Lazar, noting the influence of non-family members.

The MooneysWhen Michael Mooney ac-quired Footwear Unlimited Inc. in 1989, he immediately tackled the issue of protect-ing the business for the next generation.“Our tax system makes it difficult to pass it on from one generation

to the next,” said Patrick Mooney, president, who runs the company with his father, Michael, CEO, while two siblings not actively involved in the business are co-owners. “If not done properly, death taxes have the potential to force you into the sale of the enter-prise,” Patrick said. He also recognized the importance of influences in running the company and put an eight-person executive committee in place. Since conflicts can arise, a three-day planning

meeting takes place away from the office. “It ensures my father and I and our executive committee share a common vision,” Mooney said.

The MoehringsFor the fourth-generation owners of Seattle-based Washington Shoe Co., join-ing the family business was a given. “Your internship starts at a very young age,” said Karl Moehring, CEO, who runs the company with his father, Rob, chairman, and brother Mark, VP. “After school, you go to the ware-house and hang out and do your homework.”

While father and sons have an innate trust in one another, Karl admitted they’ve experienced some rough spots. “Disagreements can spill over to all aspects of our life,” he said. “It can make Thanksgiving dinner a little awkward.” To get them through the tough times, the Moehrings turned to a corporate therapist.

The IsslersFather and son Jim and David Issler have carved their own niches in the shoe business but are never too far apart. Jim serves as president and CEO of H.H. Brown Shoe Co. Inc. of Greenwich, Conn., while David is president of Sofft Shoe Co. of Andover, Mass. Both companies operate as subsidiaries of the H.H. Brown Shoe Group, owned by Berkshire Hathaway Inc.

The KleinsEastland Shoe Corp. is among a handful of family companies in New England, once the heart of American shoemaking. Today, Jim Klein, whose father, Jonas B. Klein, founded the company, serves as president, while sons Joshua and Jordan Klein share the title of VP. “Most of our competitors today are large, publicly traded companies,” said Joshua. “This means we have to work harder, smarter and more creatively to compete.” While the younger Kleins appreciate learning the busi-ness from their grandfather, they also value the input of non-family members. P

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I n the 1980s, the dynamic husband-and-wife duo took the shoe business by storm

— and became household names with Sam & Libby. Today, their second blockbuster company, Sam Edelman, continues to make impressive strides. Now Jesse Edelman is working alongside his parents as national brand manager for Circus by Sam Edelman and Sam & Libby. “When Jesse came into the business, he didn’t report to either one of us,” his parents said. “Today, after 11 years as a family working together, we find ourselves in various meetings as a collaborative unit. That in itself is very rewarding.” Another benefit of having their son in the mix? He helps settle disagreements. “When Sam and I don’t agree on a shoe, it used to be a conflict, but now we let Jesse decide,” Libby said.

T H E E D E L M A N S

For a look at more shoe families, check out Footwearnews.com.

24 FO OT W E A R N EWS.CO M

CHRISTIAN DIORDesigner Maria Grazia Chiuri has thus far stuck to two distinctly opposing shoe styles: dainty kitten heels or tough boots. For the outdoorsy California canyon setting, combat versions and extra-high-tops added modern verve to her take on billowing Western dressing.

CHANEL Just when it seemed the gladiator trend had been laid to rest, Karl Lagerfeld and house shoe designer Laurence Dacade revived the style in a new platform heel. The other key update: thick strapping and column-shaped heels that walked a Parisian runway resembling ancient Greece. R

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25FO OT W E A R N EWS.CO M

VALENTINO Novelty was the word for designer Pierpaolo Piccioli, who showed in New York and referenced athletic codes for footwear — from quilted shower sandals to furry sneaker boots and socky stilettos.

GUCCIAlessandro Michele continues to experiment with mules and clogs, reinventing the former with extravagant fur cuffs and the latter as an ugly-chic men’s slide, which were shown in Florence’s Palazzo Pitti.

PRADAReturning to the resort schedule after sitting it out for the past five years, Miuccia Prada was in a sportif mode, sending models down the Rem Koolhaas runway at Milan’s Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II in strappy heels, pumps and chunky sneakers, all paired with luxe tube socks.

LOUIS VUITTON It was all about the clashing, slashed boot for Nicholas Ghesquiere’s latest collection, which was shown in Tokyo. Zebra and racing striping in a monochromatic palette kept mid-heel boots sharp, while the house continued to push tricky mid-calf heights.

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—Summer Market

ISSUE July 17

CLOSE DATE July 5

FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT LAUREN SCHOR, ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER AT 212 256 8118 OR LSCHOR@FOOTWEARNEWS.COM

BRINGTHE HEAT

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Taryn Rose, who brought luxury to the comfort category, is back as the creative spirit behind her namesake label. Her feminine styling is on full display with the Valentina, a ladylike fall ’17 military boot done in creamy ivory. “Boots are fantastic since nowadays they’re a year-round look,” said Rose.

THE ROSE RETURNS01/Shoeof the Week

28

Nancy OlickerFounder, Klik Footwear

“We keep the inventory levels tight at retail and shift the stock liability to us. However, my channels of distribution don’t typically rely on promotions to sell product. They’re the better independents and feel our product is honestly priced in the fi rst place. If there are slow-moving items that need to be promoted, we manage that with our retailers. We’ll make adjustments and work with them.”

Umesh KhaitanCEO, Ukies

“We o� er independents midyear sales or end-of-season markdowns. We also do specials or trunk shows where we’ll adjust prices. We don’t compete on price. As a newer brand, it might take us longer to [get noticed], but we don’t want to be perceived as a discounter. Our focus, though, has been on bigger retailers. Larger companies like Nordstrom decide which brands to promote, so we’re somewhat limited there.”

Eric HarrisonCEO, J. Reneé Group

“You can quickly get caught up in a downward spiral by trying to come up with discounts and allowances. So we invest more in our products, services and inventory. We’re coming o� one of our best springs in many years — the result of putting more stock in our best-selling items and having more color than ever in our J. Reneé and L’Amour des Pieds lines. We have a good idea of what people want from us.”

Rachel CarmiCo-owner & chief designer, Bernie Mev

“We’re in a great position since we don’t make a style unless we have orders. This way, we don’t sit on stock and spread it in the wrong places, upsetting [our customers]. We don’t sell to many discounters, but if we do, it’s a special makeup under our label. Any styles that are left and we don’t intend to continue with in the future, we usually o� er at private special events through Zulily.com or Mysale.com.”

Fall ’17 styles fromBernie Mev

Joseph AntebiCOO & creative director, Marc Joseph New York

“To get around the price game, we make sure our customers see the unique aspects of [our product] o� ering. We focus on what we do best — the moccasin — and are extremely creative with it. We also make sure retailers have exclusives from us, and we work closely with them to [determine] if our product mix is viable at all times. These days, any partnerships must be close or they will not succeed.”

J. Reneé’sMaressapumps

Fall ’17 UkiesMary Jane

Marc Joseph’sSan Juanboutique

02/ Burning Question

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HOW DO YOU COMPETE IN TODAY’S HIGHLY PROMOTIONAL RETAIL ENVIRONMENT?Comfort brand executives reveal the tactics that are working for them.By Barbara Schneider-Levy

product is honestly priced in

slow-moving items that need to be promoted, we manage that with our retailers. We’ll make adjustments and work

season markdowns. We also

where we’ll adjust prices. We don’t compete on price. As a newer brand, it might take us

ENVIRONMENT?Comfort brand executives reveal the tactics that are working for them.By Barbara Schneider-Levy

retailers. Larger companies like Nordstrom decide which brands to promote, so we’re somewhat limited there.”

Fall ’17 UkiesFall ’17 UkiesMary JaneMary Jane

inventory. We’re coming o� one of our best springs in many years — the result of putting more stock in our best-selling items and having more color than ever in our J. Reneé and L’Amour des Pieds lines. We have a good idea of what people want from us.”

Joseph AntebiCOO & creative director, Marc Joseph New York

“To get around the price game, we make sure our customers see the unique aspects of [our

RETAIL ENVIRONMENT?Comfort brand executives reveal the tactics that are working for them.By Barbara Schneider-Levy

Klik’s Berri slide

sandal

Troy Dempsey has more business than he can handle. The owner of The Heel Shoe Fitters

in Green Bay, Wis., moved the nearly 50-year-old comfort store in March to a bigger loca-

tion o� the highway. He predicts sales could double this year. ➵ According to Dempsey, an

estimated 30,000 cars pass by the new 13,500-square-foot location each day, increasing its

visibility. ➵ “[Our old store] had become a destination business,” said Dempsey, whose shop

was situated in the city’s shrinking downtown area. Now it could draw customers from a

100-mile radius. ➵ But even in its old, out-of-the-way spot, Heel Shoe Fitters maintained a

loyal clientele of hard-to-fi t customers, leading to 20 to 30 percent annual revenue increases

since 2009. “We continued to grow and grow but didn’t have space for stock or employees

when the sales fl oor got busy,” said Dempsey. ➵ The new store, in a small shopping center

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haven’t knocked on their

doors but would like to

do so.”

Dempsey also is shaking

things up by rethinking the

product mix. In the past,

he focused only on brands

that o� ered a health benefi t,

but now he is willing to

bend those rules to attract a

younger, more mainstream

audience. “We’ve introduced

Hunter boots, Sorel and

OluKai,” he said. “We want

to ride some of the waves of

popular looks.”

But like many indepen-

dents, Heel Shoe Fitters is

being challenged by internet

sellers such as Zappos.com.

So to improve its service

capabilities, the store is

launching an e-commerce

site this summer.

In addition, it faces

competition from other

Green Bay-area stores such

as Morgan’s Shoes, Joseph’s

Shoes and Stan’s Fit for Your

Feet. However, Dempsey

sees these other specialty

retailers as an asset. “We

have some great stores

here,” he said. “I look up to

them. They help me raise

the bar on what I do.” ❚

he owns, occupies a dra-

matic chalet-style space

that formerly housed a ski

shop. It easily stocks more

than 60 footwear brands,

including top sellers such as

Birkenstock, Aetrex, Brooks,

Hafl inger and Waldlaufer.

Dempsey, 36, joined

The Heel Shoe Fitters in

2009 as a partner, using

funds saved during a 10-year

stint with Tradehome Shoes,

a Minnesota chain. And in

2012, he took full ownership.

The executive relies on his

early retail experience to

lead the organization. “I was

good with customers, fi nd-

ing [employees] and keeping

them happy,” said Dempsey.

And as a pedorthist, he

brings vital expertise to

the business. “We don’t do

clinical pedorthic work,”

Dempsey said. Instead, the

team focuses on issues such

as heel pain or neuroma.

And going forward, Heel

Shoe Fitters aims to build

referral relationships

with area podiatrists. “We

In an expansive new home, Green Bay’s Heel Shoe Fitters is eyeing a rapid rise in business.By Barbara Schneider-Levy

03/Retail Spot-light

WORDS WITH FRIENDSThree brand partners share their thoughts on the retailer’s best strategies.

Stephanie StrattonSales rep for Think, Finn Comfort and Hafl inger

Stratton said that Troy Dempsey often takes an unconventional approach to business. “With Finn, he homed in on a less established group of shoes [that weren’t the] conventional patterns, then turned it into a signifi cant business.”

Bridget CurtisNational sales manager for Waldlaufer

“The Heel Shoe Fitters is the future of sit-and-fi t stores,” said Curtis, whose brand began working with the store in 2016. “It’s the right [environment] for our removable-footbed shoes, particularly for someone requiring an orthotic.”

Dania ShiblaqSenior PR manager for Birkenstock

“The store has a heritage of o� ering healthy footwear,” said Shiblaq. “More recently, it has taken that commitment to com-fort and added more fashion.”

The Heel Shoe Fitters’new location waspreviously a ski shop

ON THE MOVE

29FO OT W E A R N EWS.CO M

Troy Dempsey

It’s all in the details for designer Patricia Green, whose fall ’17 collection of loafers, smoking slippers and ballet fl ats are infused with whimsy and fanciful fl ourishes. This season, Green channeled the aesthetic of the British TV series “Downton Abbey,” incorporating rich velvets, intricate brocades and sumptuous suedes into her designs. “I like wearable looks with panache,” she said. “The world is so casual today. I love to be able to wear jeans with a velvet shoe trimmed with mink pompoms.” Green also looked to the streets of Paris for inspiration, impressed with the self-assured styles of its women. “It’s refi ned and not

overdone — the perfect large sunglasses, skinny jeans and comfortable-chic shoe, such as a clean-lined loafer or ballerina.” As for her other muses, Green often envisions actresses Drew Barrymore and Natalie Portman wearing her shoes. “Drew refl ects a casual boho-chic style, while Natalie is about e� ortless grace and femininity.”

The designer’s eponymous collection keeps silhouettes simple, while her infl uences are anything but.

By Barbara Schneider-Levy

PATRICIA GREEN

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Luxuriousinteriors

The iconic “Downton Abbey” home

04/ Inspiration Point

30 FO OT W E A R N EWS.CO M

“It’s fun to take a basic shoe and embellish it by adding scallops to the topline or studs to the heel.”

The Clair bootiefor fall ’17

Luxuriousinteriors

overdone — the perfect large sunglasses, skinny jeans and comfortable-chic shoe, such as a clean-lined loafer or ballerina.” As for her other muses, Green

The designer’s eponymous collection keeps silhouettes simple, while her infl uences are anything but.

GREENDrewBarrymore

NataliePortman

Many “Downton Abbey”scenes were fi lmed insideHighclere Castle

The Whitneyfall ’17 smokingslipper

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Quilted slip-on from Otz

Red is spicing up the comfort market this season, adding zest to casual boots and slip-ons.

HOT AS BLAZES05/FallTrend

32 FO OT W E A R N EWS.CO M

Quilted slip-on from Otz

Side-zip boot with underlays from L’Artiste by Spring Step

Thierry Rabotin’s midcalf boot with elastic straps

Softinos’ slouch boot in suede

Suede side-zip style from Beautifeel with print welt

Arcopedico’s moccasin with contrast stitching

Fendi went head-to-toe red on its fall ’17 runway

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This fall, women’s fashion-comfort brand Aravon is fi nally getting its due. Launched in 2004 by New Balance, the label was put on the back burner while focus shifted to the athletic brand. Now, under the owner-ship of The Rockport Group of Waltham, Mass., which acquired Aravon in 2012, the label is undergoing a makeover across every touch point.

“We had a great opportunity to re-evaluate, refresh and relaunch Aravon, and get down to what it’s really about,” said Karen Pitts, GM for the brand and the companion Dunham men’s label. “We’ve revamped everything, with fresh imagery, in-store merchandising and product. We’re tightening up on the story and are clearer on the target consumer.”

As part of its overhaul, Aravon is catering to women 35 and over by balancing on-trend styling with core features such as removable footbeds and adjustable strap closures. “If you’re 40, 60 or 80, you don’t see yourself as old,“

said Pitts. “However, some consumers need more supportive healthy footwear but still want to look great.”

The collection, retailing from $120 to $180, includes casual and walking shoes, as well as career pumps, booties and sandals, available on an in-stock basis. “Sixty to 70 percent of our business is replenishment,” said Pitts.

The company prefers keeping distribu-tion tight, with 80 percent of its business done through comfort independents such as Footprints of Newington, Conn., The Barn of West Newton, Mass., and Harry’s Shoes of New York. “We don’t have to be everywhere,” said Pitts. “Aravon takes a bit of selling and understanding.”

Going forward, the brand is committed to its niche position. “Today’s consumers don’t want what everyone else has,” said Pitts. “They want to discover new brands. If you want to protect your distribution and product image, there needs to be a degree of exclusivity and selectivity at retail.”

Aravon’s fall ’17 laced sandals

1Who is your typical comfort customer?We’re now getting them in younger — 30 and over. They may have plantar fasciitis or have injured their feet [during sports training]. But usually we grab customers in their 40s. By that time, they’ve messed up their feet and don’t have a choice [but to address the problem].

2How does Karavel cater to consumers with foot issues?We do a lot of over-the-counter inserts that don’t need a prescription. We probably have the largest o� ering in the Southwest, with foot care accessories making up about 9 percent of store sales. We also have the Abeo and Aetrex iStep foot-scanning devices. In Texas, customers with a doctor’s prescription can only be seen by a certifi ed pedorthist like myself. How-ever, our sta� is well-trained, so routine issues such as plantar fasciitis and meta-tarsalgia can be treated with an over-the-counter product.

3As business challenges persist, how have you evolved your relationships with vendors?We expect more. The people who want to grow with us have o� ered us opportuni-ties. When we do add a new vendor, we give them three seasons. And once we commit, we expect them to

meet us more than halfway. Most of the time, if vendors say no to swapping shoes or giving marketing dollars, we say goodbye to them [because we know] they do it for department stores. Our reps are also in contact with us at least once a month, and usually weekly, since we consistently reorder.

4Customer service has become increasingly important. What do you look for when hiring a salesperson?Empathy. People walk in and say their feet hurt, and we want to help them.

Employees must also have a smile. If they’re 9-to-

5ers and not involved in the community or

charity work, they’re not who we

[want]. We also fi nd sta� through word of mouth, as well as going out and hunting on our own. We talk to our sales reps. Perhaps they know someone who worked at a store that closed and they want to get back into retail. We try to make [working here] easy and fun. We also o� er all the benefi ts, such as paid vacation and sick leave.

5As the head of an 80-year-old family company, how do you think independents can win in today’s retail landscape? My dad let me make mis-takes and try new things, but it cost him a lot of money. And while I was mentored by his contemporaries, it’s a di� erent world today. The National Shoe Retailer’s NextGen Leadership Pro-gram has had a huge impact on the survival of family businesses with its [educa-tional programs]. My step-son Michael Wittenstein, one of the fi rst in the program, is Karavel’s GM and is set to take over when I retire.

RICK RAVELThe owner of Karavel Shoes in Austin, Texas, talks about providing the best comfort service and redefi ning vendor relationships. By Barbara Schneider-Levy

07/ Five Questions

The Aravon brand is re-establishing itself in the comfort market with a new product direction and fresh messaging. By Barbara Schneider-Levy

GET A JUMP-START06/UpClose

As business challenges persist,

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The battle has been off the court as much as it’s been on at the NBA Finals. Some wondered if the Golden State Warriors would make a clean sweep of the Cleveland Cavaliers by winning four straight games, but others focused just as intently on the signature sneakers. Stephen Curry debuted his Curry 4s, representing Under Armour, while opponent LeBron James played in his Nike LeBron Zoom Soldier 11s.

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