How I envy your shoes!

[On cover: Footwear Art by Kobi Levi, winner of the”Envy for MICAM Milano” contest]

Twelve emerging designers went head-to-head at the ‘Envy for Micam’ contest hosted at Fun Square. They elaborated – in a creative and original way – the theme of this edition dedicated to Envy. The theme followed Lust, Seduction and Vanity in an allegorical journey along the three canticles of the Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri.

The first prize was awarded to Footwear Art by Kobi Levi, an Israeli designer who thinks out of the box with his creations that are closer to art than to wearable products. The shoe is a mix between a sneaker and a pump, between streetwear and couture and was met by unanimous praise from the jury of fashion experts.

One shoe is “bursting” out of the other. Style from the inside out. Each style envies the other’s world: the sneaker’s everyday reality, popular on the streets or the stiletto’s fantasy, in glamorous events and fashion media.

The English designer Merah Vodianova won the prize for the “most social” brand.

While the world envy is often viewed negatively, one can channel the energy of feeling envious into a few other things. Envy can be transformed into feeling sensual, seductive, powerful and bold. The Thalia heel embodies all these feelings.

While WGSN chose the Good Vibes duo for their ankle boot with the inscription ‘envy’ written in 6 different languages.

We thought the Envy style as an open ankle boot with the “envy” writing in six different languages, together with some typical Neapolitan elements and drawings. Gold is my choice for the material because usually envy puts a shade on something or somebody: I inserted the gold as the light fighting the darkness.

The guest of honour at the award ceremony was the American designer Tommy Hilfiger who appreciated the creativity of these emerging designers.