Started in 1946 as a small workshop, the firm grew bigger and bigger every year and eventually became almost synonymous with high quality, hand made Italian leather shoes.

The company’s artists manually work each shoe and every day, over one thousand new pairs roll out of their manufacturing floor.

A wee bit about the manufacturing process

The life of every Moreschi shoe starts with the cutting of the leather. It’s a precise deal what we’re talking about here. Each pair is made from 8 to 24 different pieces leather, and each must have the precise shape and color needed, otherwise it all goes kaput.

They go to great lengths to make sure they use only the best quality leather. We’re interested in premium quality stuff, after all.

Next stop is the sewing part.. Now that’s where the artisan’s tallent really kicks in. Over half of the whole manufacturing process is the tailoring part and you really need super qualified people to do the job.

And if that’s not hard enough, parts of moccasins can only be sown by hand.

With the upper part of the shoe pretty much completed, all that’s left to do is to add the sole and the finishing touches that will make the everybody turn their heads for you.

Where can you find Moreschi and their elegant shoes?

The great thing about a brand that’s so successful is the fact that there’s a great chance that you’ll find a store that sells it in your hometown.

Moreschi’s flagship store is located on none other than New York City’s Madison Avenue, but their store chain spreads from Stockholm to Johannesburg, Moscow, Dubai and Hong Kong.

You can also find Moreschi shoes on the internet, and by far the biggest selection is offered by Forzieri.  That’s where I’d go.

With their new designs that remind us of the fifties, they brought this summer’s shiny reds and whites that somehow defy the unforgiving autumn that lies ahead of us. The gardening inspired designs made this entire collection managed to present a completely casual look, with plenty attention to commodity.

Dolce and Gabbana 2010 Milan Fashion Week

Dolce and Gabbana 2010 Milan Fashion Week Casual Look

In a recent interview with Il Sole, Giorgio Armani mentioned that he has not yet decided on a successor at the head of his massive fashion empire. The 74 years old Italian designer says that he’s still in top shape to run the business and he is not planning on retiring any time soon.

The reasons for not retiring may go well beyond his great condition. A departure from the head of the fashion firm could impact negatively on its sales and the reputation of the brand itself. I will happen some day because the new generation will eventually have to take over the old, but for now Armani is still in charge.

Here’s what he had to say about it:

“The founder is linked to the brand and represents its style. When it comes to replacing the founder there is always a doubt as to whether to change the style. The young designers have all the talent that is needed, but in a system made up of only ‘untouchable icons’ that cut off all oxygen, you can also die.”

The store — designed by creative director Tomas Maier — offers Bottega Veneta’s women’s accessories, handbags, luggage, shoes, eyewear and scent.

The 678 sq.ft. store is intimate and comfortable. Every element of the boutique’s interior, from the walnut tables and handcrafted vitrines to the door handles sheathed in leather, are custom-made.

Among the notable design features mohair furniture upholstery, and custom-dyed, pure New Zealand wool carpets. A quiet palette of matte neutrals and earth tones further enhances the feeling of privacy and sophistication.

“We are proud to open our second store in the Philippines. It’s great to be a part of the Asia-Pacific regions’ growth and a pleasure to offer our clients in the Philippines another contemporary, timeless Bottega Veneta store,” said Mr. Maier.

The first Bottega Veneta store is located at Greenbelt 4. The brand is exclusively distributed by Stores Specialists, Inc.

Giorgio Armani has just announced that leading Asian actor Takeshi Kaneshiro will be the first Asian male face to appear in an advertising campaign for Emporio Armani in the Fall 2008 men’s collection. A well recognised face throughout Asia, Takeshi’s signing as the new testimonial for Emporio Armani corresponds with the brand’s growing development in the China market, which will celebrate the opening of 13 new Emporio Armani stores around the country within 2008.

Takeshi joins David Beckham who is the official testimonial for Emporio Armani Underwear and KaKa, the testimonial for Emporio Armani Menswear in Europe and the Americas. Takeshi will appear in a special advertising campaign for the Emporio Armani Fall 2008, which will be rolled out in Hongkong, China and Taiwan in leading fashion and lifestyle magazines and on signature billboards.

The union between Giorgio Armani and the film industry is well documented. It all started with the wardrobe he created for Richard Gere in American Gigolo in 1980. Over the years Giorgio Armani has continued to show his passion for motion picture. Giorgio Armani began his support of Asian cinema in 2006 with the costume design for a Chinese language motion picture Confession of Pain, starring Takeshi.

Takeshi has appeared in over 30 films including many landmarks of Asian cinema, among them Wong Kar-Wai’s Chungking Express in 1994. Of Chinese and Japanese descent, Takeshi’s filmography is not limited to Chinese language productions including House of Flying Daggers, Perhaps Love in 2006, The Warlords in 2007 and this year’s Red Cliff but also Japanese films including Returner in 2002.

Giorgio Armani said, “I am excited to collaborate with Takeshi on this new advertising campaign. He is a film and style icon in Asia where his fame transcends cultures both East and West. His sense of effortless style is very contemporary and sophisticated and together with his good look makes him the ideal testimonial for Emporio Armani.”

Regarding the city, Giorgion Armani said that Moscow is an energetic and beautiful city with its mixture of ‘East meets West’, ‘Tradition with Modernity’ and ‘Antiquity with Futurism’

“I have been waiting patiently to find an appropriate location for my first Emporio Armani store in Moscow. So I am excited that it is becoming a reality. This city is not only the capital, but one of the most important business, social and international hubs in Europe with a quickly rising reputation for being style conscious”

Roberto Cavalli did something a little more unexpected and teamed up with the giant Coca-Cola to redesign the classic Diet Coke bottle. The new bottles will be distributed in a limited edition of 300000 units from September till December, but only in Italy.

I love the new designs. They look like they’re covered in leopard skin and I’d die to get myself one of those. It’s the typical Roberto Cavalli style, feminine and extravagant.

But I can’t help but wonder what do environmentalists have to say about it…?

Donatella follows his passion and now she announced that she will sponsor the Whitney Museum of American Art’s 2008 Gala on October 20.

The sponsorship will be consist of a substantial amount of money but she also collaborated with Marc Quinn, Julian Schnabel and Wangechi Mutu to create three new pieces of jewelry specifically for this event. Every penny earned from the auction will remain to the museum, which will in turn use it to aid young artists.

Donatela will personally host the auction. “I hope the three pieces will find good homes where they will bring pleasure and excitement,” she said.

In October, Versace will also launch its new collection of fine jewelry in collaboration with Vertime, a subsidiary of the Timex Group. Donatella is very optimistic about this experiment of collaborating with established artists in order to create something one of a kind.

We’ll see how that will work out.

Gucci Announced the names of the artists that will compete for this year’s Gucci award. The list is made of the actor Steve McQueen, American filmmaker Julian Schnabel, Beastie Boys founding member Adam Nathaniel Yauch and director Isaac Julien.

The Gucci Award is given each ear in at the Venice Film festival and the candidates are chosen from a list of internationally known artists that have made a contribution to the development of a movie in the last 18 months.

This year, the jury that will choose the winner is made of Marco Mueller, Vogue Italy chief editor Franca Sozzani and Stefano Pilati, the CEO of the international fashion house Yves Saint Laurent.

The Venice festival will run from August 27th to September 6^th , and the winner wil be announced on the first of September.

Regarding this year’s contestants, Marco Muller said: “We have chosen the most original international artists, who, through broad creative metamorphosis, continue to challenge our hearts and minds.”

Gucci’s CEO said that: “The Gucci Group recognizes that talent and creative vision expressed in one medium often lead to significant contributions in other artistic endeavors. This award crystallizes the groups’ long-term goal of fostering originality and inventiveness in the arts.”