There’s a lot to be said for a good shoe. Something that is sexy, yet elegant; pretty, yet practical; empowering, yet with a soft enough touch to carry you through a commute and ten meetings without taking the better part of your heel hostage. They’re difficult to find, but when you do, are almost like a prize. Call it the Cinderella-effect, but I have heard plenty of women (myself included) discuss these treasured pairs with pride. This is something Natalia Barbieri understands.
“My first pair of designer shoes were bought for me by my brother Alberto,” she tells me. “They are by Sergio Rossi. Blue, crocodile stamped leather court shoes, single sole, 10cm stiletto heel with thin tie cross-over ankle strap. I guess they could now be called vintage.”
Detail, then, is Natalia’s forte. I’m discussing the ins-and-outs of dressing women’s feet with one half of the power shoe brand Bionda Castana, a label that has been redefining the way the fashion set think about footwear since 2008. It’s one of those reliable brands, in the sense that, you know you’ll walk in and find something you like. It’s as though Natalia and her partner, Jennifer Portman, sit down each season and work out exactly the types of shoe you’ll need, and then create them with slight adjustments, from heel height and colour to fabrication. There’s even the option for a bespoke service, an old school idea that has been resurrected in the industry of late – and why not? If you’re going to invest in a shoe, it might as well be completely perfect.
“We are inspired by day to day, our friends, films, our travels, cultures – anything and everything,” Natalia explains about the design process. “But it is predominantly our gut feeling that guides us. In each collection there is a style for everyone, be it more conservative or more eccentric.”
Sat in their new pastel and gold-toned flagship on Elizabeth Street (“we wanted it to feel warm and welcoming. As though you are walking into your own home,”), it’s evident that there isn’t much Natalia doesn’t know on the subject. She’s also a woman who has spent most of her adult life, she tells me, wearing heels – an achievement that is both impressive, and makes me further inclined to trust her opinion.
“That Sergio Rossi pair opened my eyes to the world of luxury shoes. It was where my obsession first began. I analysed the shoes over and over again, which made me start sketching. I knew my life would take a creative path around 2000 when I was thinking about how I visualised my future and what made me essentially happy. I had to be creative and it had to revolve around shoes – although, my family didn’t deem this a serious idea!”
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Natalia isn’t the first creative to be put off by concerned parents, however in this case it was a blessing in disguise – her and Jennifer met whilst tackling more academically-driven paths at University. “We’re are of a similar mindset,” she tells me. “We have the same business acumen and drive, and more importantly, the same vision for the brand. We wanted to build something. Granted we built it on a shoestring, but you don’t get the opportunity to actually make something that often so when I could, I took the risk.”
It’s a risk that paid off. “When I had saved enough money to be able to start researching, travel and put together a sample collection, Bionda Castana was born – albeit, with a very small amount of capital. For our first season we showed a very small capsule collection for Spring/Summer 2008 at the WSA (World Shoe Accessories) show in Las Vegas. Now, we’re stocked in some of the most influential stores in the world.”
Just some of those stores include Harrods, Selfridges, Shopbop, Opening Ceremony, Harvey Nichols and the ever well-curated Shop at Bluebird. It’s a brand, it seems, with sticking power. So what’s the secret, I ask. “Our brand is unique to us: an elegant, seasonless, eye catching shoe that is neither eccentric nor unwearable,” she says confidently. “Having a clear vision and having the right people on board sharing the same message has also been incredibly important. When demand for our styles reaches an ultimate high, it keeps us going through the really stressful times – which is why the launch of our store has been such a huge reward.”
Have her Italian roots played a role? “Absolutely. The integrity of ‘Made in Italy’ is the founding principle of the brand and is what the brand is committed to. From initial sketch to final product, skilled Italian craftsmen and luxurious materials are invested in each and every one of our products. Traditional Milanese artisans carry out 150 separate processes to complete each of our designs. However, this has also been part of the challenge,” she pauses. “Sourcing a stable production facility is always the greatest hill to climb, and finding a good team to work with. I think if we had raised more finance in the beginning, it would have helped better manage cash flow. I personally would have reduced my initial product range, kept a tighter edit and most definitely would have engaged with a business mentor sooner. There will always be challenges but what changes over the years is that you learn better how to find solutions.”
Next on the list is a New York outpost, where the girls hope to reach even more of their growing fans, of whom Natalia speaks fondly. “We were inspired by the modern and chic woman – the woman who wears a ‘uniform’ and is understated. She is cool, confident, elegant in a non-traditional way, and doesn’t try too hard whilst still cutting a striking figure. The shoes elevate her mood.” Which is exactly how we like them.
Photographs by Dvora exclusively for The Lifestyle Edit with artistic direction by Naomi Mdudu