Fratelli Borgioli, a historic Italian luxury shoe manufacturer since 1946, announced the launch of “SEISHOU,” a new line of shoes designed by Japanese shoe designers Ikeda & Matsuzaki, on December 16, 2020.
The name of the collection, SEISHOU (or “unison” in English), originates from the blend of Italian craftsmanship and Japanese taste.
“SEISHOU is a hybrid collection that links a classic design to a modern style. Japanese concept and design are expressed with Italian shoes’ craftsmanship,” says Yuko Matsuzaki, Shoe Designer at Ikeda & Matsuzaki. “The design incorporates the concept of authentic Italian footwear and the taste that reflects the modern Japanese lifestyle.”
Designer Matsuzaki Yuko
Japanese shoe designers Ikeda & Matsuzaki have collaborated with global luxury leading shoe brands in their long career before proposing, in October 2019, a collaboration with Fratelli Borgioli, attracted by the high manufacturing level of the Borgioli shoes.
“Our vision is to create new ideas to reinterpret the characteristics of Fratelli Borgioli in a modern way,” says Masaharu Ikeda, Fashion Director at Ikeda & Matsuzaki. “Our design follows both the ancient craftsmanship tradition and the new fashion trends that are constantly evolving.”
All the SEISHOU shoes, which combine the comfort of a sneaker with the elegance of a formal shoe, are made with complex techniques that very few shoe factories nowadays still apply, such as the sole milled on the last, the Blake processing with the hidden channel and the use of natural materials.
Designer Ikeda Masaharu
SEISHOU shoes are available online, and in-store in the shops of the official Borgioli retailers. In Casa Borgioli, the Fratelli Borgioli store set up in the premises of the old factory in Vinci, Tuscany (Italy), the birthplace of Renaissance genius Leonardo da Vinci.
“Fratelli Borgioli have always had both a deep bond with tradition and an eye towards innovation and the future,” says Urbano Borgioli, CEO at Fratelli Borgioli. “SEISHOU fully reflects our high-quality craftsmanship and tradition, while also allowing us to diversify our production for an international scope.”
