His Son Gianvito Rossi + More Designers Pay Tribute to Sergio Rossi Who Died Last Night From Coronavirus
Following the death of footwear legend Sergio Rossi from coronavirus, his son, shoe designer Gianvito Rossi, paid this heartfelt tribute to his father into whose footsteps he followed.
Rossi was born in San Mauro Pascoli, one of Italy’s main shoemaking regions, in 1935. He learned the trade from his own father, began producing footwear in the early 1950s and launched his namesake brand in 1968. As he grew his own label, the designer also collaborated with fashion houses such as Versace, Dolce & Gabbana and Azzedine Alaïa. Rossi developed a number of groundbreaking styles such as the Opanca sandal with its curved sole.
Gianvito Rossi
“Sergio Rossi died last night, not without fighting, at the age of 84. The Sammaurese entrepreneur had contracted the COVID-19, and had been hospitalized for days in the intensive care of the Bufalini hospital in Cesena.
His is a story of unconditional love for shoes, which began in an Italy consumed by the Second World War, and learned from an artisan father, who has always made bespoke shoes.
At the age of 14, he was a skilled shoemaker and together with his brother Franco he produced the shoes he would later sell in the summer in banquet along the Riviera. His talent was soon noticed, and he began a successful journey: from a young designer to a great entrepreneur.
An extraordinary career that has made San Mauro Pascoli a world capital of luxury women’s footwear. His line has combined creative design with a quality achieved by a long work of improvement, tireless and endless. His international rise is marked by collaborations with the greatest fashion icons, including, the most iconic ever, young Gianni Versace.
A man who gave all of himself, to the shoe, but also to his community. He wanted to donate the knowledge learned in a lifetime to future generations, transmitting them through Cercal, a school founded with his Sammauresi companions.
He has always stood out for his class and his strong, charismatic, generous, courageous character: a natural leader, loved and respected at the same time by his collaborators, with whom, in the long journey of his life he created one big family.
There are those who have had the good fortune to transform their art into a work and those who have the extraordinary talent of transforming their work into a work of art. Sergio Rossi was this man. A husband, father, grandfather, and progenitor of a family that followed his example.
The family offers, with love, their last goodbye ‘With the unquenchable fire of your passion, you taught us that there are no limits for those who love what they do. Goodbye maestro.'”
Amina Muaddi
“RIP to the legend that Sergio Rossi was and will forever remain. This is such a sad day for me, for the fashion industry and for women across the globe who he has graced with his creations for entire decades. My sincerest condolences to the Rossi family for their loss. When I went to the Sergio Rossi factory back in December because I was going to start producing my collection in their factory, I was taken to the museum built in his honor inside the factory. I felt so much emotion going through his incredible work and looking at the archives that I could barely focus on my meeting. The legacy he left behind is immeasurable. Thank you master, may you rest in peace.”
Samuele Failli
Yeah I know I am super sad. I never had the chance to meet him but I was always a big fan of his great work. I remember when I child and my mum used to buy a lot of his shoes. She would take me to his store in Florence very often and all the time I was enjoing very much looking at her trying so many pairs. I guess he was one of the reason why I love my job. He never made crazy unwearable shoes, they were simple and very beautiful. Flattering. I always thought he was the modern Charles Jourdan. They were very similar in doing simple shoes that can make a woman feel sexy and beautiful and never vulgar. He has been one of the greats of all.”
Nicholas Kirkwood
“I was saddened to wake up this morning to the news of the passing of legendary Italian shoe designer Sergio Rossi. He was a true master of his craft. My heartfelt condolences go out to his family.”
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