Frederick Foubet MarzoratiEach time I'm in Vigevano to assist production, it's like I’m visiting my second family. We are often mistaken for brother and sister with Laura, who is at the head of the workshop where I had my first shoe made for F. Pinet.
THE CREATION OF OUR SHOES
at the heart of Italian workshops
Wearing a pair of F. Pinet’s is often in the hearts of women who wear them with a very special affection. A traveling companion whose allure borrows, over time, the memory of a lifetime. Their story begins in the heart of Italian workshops in the hands of tanners, master form-makers, heel-makers, cutters, archers, preparers, trimmers, stitchers, fitters, sewers, finishers, and beyond... Each step of this traditional profession requires its share of patience and dexterity.
A familial story
A PASSION FOR CRAFTSMANSHIP
It is in the heart of Lombardy and the Naples region that we have found the best workshops for the manufacture of our shoes.
In Cassandrino and Vigevano, capital of the stiletto heel, more than 150 different gestures are performed in turn by the hands of our craftsmen who transform our inspirations into creations.
Always available to reveal their know-how and share their expertise with us, our craftsmen are real partners for us with whom we work hand in hand.
In their workshops, we still work in a very traditional way and especially with the family. When we go there, there is a warm atmosphere of southern families where brothers, sisters, cousins, parents, and children share the same passion for craftsmanship.
CRAFTING OUR SHOES STEP BY STEP
From Paris to Vigevano ...
It all starts with the ideas of Artistic Director Fred, which are born from day to day ...
From his inspirations, he designs to offer an overall shape of the shoe and the heel. His drawings are also transferred to our workshops, where they will serve as a guide for the conceptualization of the shoes.
In most cases, the first element of a shoe that we define is the heel. The latter is made by a heeler, a craftsman specializing in the creation of the heel.
From this heel and the provided design, the former creates the shape that determines this "perfect fit" that is so dear to us. Using a form that historically was made of wood, it shapes the design of the stylist in three dimensions, while maintaining the volumes necessary for the comfort of the foot. He will therefore work on the form to adjust it as best as possible and thus create the most comfortable shoe possible.
The quality of a shoe also depends on the perfect match between the shape and the heel. To achieve this, we position the wooden shape on the heel, and we make sure that the combination of the two elements offers a natural gait. It is at this precise moment in which one of the greatest strengths of our Italian artisans is located. They have a very large number of different shapes and heels and know how to find the best possible assembly like no other.
F.Pinet has always paid a lot of attention to materials. We make sure to choose noble leathers such as suede goatskin, calfskin, but also animal or metallic print leathers. All of these bring that little touch of originality to our timeless creations.
Depending on his inspiration sources for the season, Fred selects a variety of samples including different versions of materials and colors that will bring our collections to life.
Then, together, we test and match in order to find the perfect combination for a creation.
THE FLAT LAY
This is the stage of production where the pattern maker comes into play. He takes care to make a "shell" called a coquelle which corresponds to a replica molded on the "form" in a very fine and rigid plastic. This shell is returned to Fred who recreates his original drawing on it. It is at this stage that he defines all the useful information such as seams, perforations ... Then, the pattern maker recovers the shell, the cutout to put it back flat, and can thus design the pattern of the shoe.
Once the pattern is made, the cutter is given the pattern that he places on the previously selected leather. This craftsman has very particular know-how and expertise: he chooses where to place the pattern on the leather in order to make the cuts on the most noble areas and the most suitable for the construction of the shoe. He then proceeds to cut by making large continuous movements with a slicer.
This step is particularly complex and requires a great deal of knowledge. Traditionally, craftsmen fix the upper layer on the form to which a so-called "mounting" sole has been added beforehand. They will nail the leather on this mounting sole, then rework the leather until the upper layer perfectly matches the chosen volumes.
The outer sole is glued to the mounting sole. This sole can have a half-sole, and sometimes rubber inserts or a shank which allow our shoes to be so stable and easy to wear.
This is the step where we add eyelets, laces and more of all these little details that make our shoes stand out. It is also at this time that we burn the protruding threads, or that we add embellishments, such as the Eiffel Tower buckle on our Marlène pump.
Last but not least, our shoes are carefully wrapped in a pretty tissue paper, and placed in boxes before being sent to our stores.
