Sustainability and research for emerging designers

They come from all over the world, combining creativity with marketing and social media skills; they do not forget their roots, which often influence their collections, and above all they have made footwear their core business. For Micam’s September edition, 12 new brands have been selected for the Emerging Designers area; in addition to their commitment to research, sustainability is the communal leitmotif that each designer interprets in their own particular way, through recycled materials, attention to the production chain and circularity. Here are the new names to keep an eye on.

Belledonne Paris is a French brand founded in 2018 by Antonin Chabanne and Mikael Leo, who were inspired by the majestic French Alps to create the sneaker collection now sold in shops as well as online. Roser Flores Samon, the Spanish designer who launched Bonamaso’ after her years working in Milan. Usman Manzoor, the Pakistani founder of Çaplait, has a background in business; his previous experiences as an enterprise manager for entrepreneur Peter Jones and as a business development manager for a successful start-up helped him develop his own brand. Colombian designer Daniela Uribe has developed her eponymous brand after studying at the prestigious Cordwainers London College of Fashion in London and working for several top-notch companies. Judy Mazzotti is both the name of a footwear brand and its Italian designer, who has been interested in fashion ever since she can remember: a passion that she explored in its technical aspects at the Cercal Institute in San Mauro Pascoli. Behind Minacapilli is the Swiss duo Andrea and Massimo; she is a prominent PR, and he boasts an unrivalled experience in managing glamorous clubs and a professional training at the Ars Sutoria school in Milan. The brand Mosca Shoes is Argentinian at heart; founded by Damiano Mosca, its Texan boot is a reinterpretation with neo-tribal influences. At the age of eighteen, the Italian Francesco Pierini began his journey into the world of footwear; after gaining hands-on experience in Florence and Naples he set up Pierini Calzature, a brand originally dedicated to sneakers which later opened up to more sophisticated models.  Brazilian designer Simone Nunes collaborated with numerous companies in São Paulo and Rio De Janeiro before creating Room in 2016 a collection inspired by homes and their objects, synonymous with craftsmanship and quality. Socque is a brand that has been recently launched in Paris in 2022 by Laure Chareton and Camille Cour, the former specialising in digital marketing, the latter with a university business degree and consulting experience for an international group. East and West merge in the Japanese brand Tachino Chie by Chie Tachino, who trained in Tokyo, London and Paris; her expertise ranges from silk kimono lingerie design to footwear and handbag design. Finally, Ubac is the brainchild of French designer Mathilde Blettery, who studied law at Sorbonne, dreaming of becoming a lawyer defending the environment; she discovered the world of footwear through her parents who owned four shoe shops: her passion for accessories began there.