GWYNN’S: Growing up a Santoni, what did dinner table conversations look like?
GABRIO SANTONI: Dinner table conversations were very much focused on the business, growing it.
GWYNN’S: I was interested to learn the majority of your fabrics are chemical free. Can you tell me a little bit about your process?
GABRIO SANTONI:Absolutely. I really believe quality cannot only be found in the product, but at Santoni, quality is a model that is carried out in everything that we do. We only use water-based glues, special insulation systems that cut down electricity consumption, and in recent years, something we have been really focused on is also giving a second life to our products. We sell over 5,000 pairs of shoes per year.
GWYNN’S: What is it like for you when a high profile person like George Clooney wears Santoni?
GABRIO SANTONI: So for us, it's a big pleasure, especially because the activity you mentioned is organic — it's them really choosing Santoni. Last year, Beyoncé chose Santoni for 3 out of 10 days of her cowboy tour. It also really helps, obviously, the business side of it.
GWYNN’S: Did you find that the styles Beyoncé wore ended up selling more?
GABRIO SANTONI: It definitely really helped our brand awareness. The styles in that case were a special collection we made for her — in two weeks we had to come up with the design and industrialize it. But in the George Clooney case, that shoe really did see a strong benefit."
GWYNN’S: What is Santoni designing for him and for her at our Made to Order Event this weekend?
GABRIO SANTONI: From my point of view, for him and her, for a night out, maybe the Santoni People Whole Cut and our Sibille pump with the doubling accessories in the front.
GWYNN’S: What do you want someone to feel the moment they step into Santoni shoes for the first time?
GABRIO SANTONI: There's a word in Italian, 'Meraviglia', it means wonder. So it's that feeling, and I see it often in customers when opening a Santoni box.
GWYNN’S: What does the iconic orange bottom sole symbolize?
GABRIO SANTONI: The history of the orange started many, many years ago. Bottoms were similar to other shoes. To change that, we decided to give that special touch to the bottom of our shoes. The color we chose was orange. It's a very fun color — it's a color that speaks very well to both men and women. There's that fun aspect underneath that not everyone sees; it only shows a little bit, that we all have.
