Six Luxury Shoe Designers On Opportunities and Challenges for 2016

New year, new goals. Here, six key designers sound off on the big challenges and opportunities ahead for their brands.

Sandra Choi, creative director, Jimmy Choo
Opportunities: “Given the unpredictability, 2016 will be a year to open your mind and do what you believe in. There’s an opportunity to push the boundaries of creativity. 2016 is our 20^th anniversary, so we’re at an exciting moment where we will seed our vision for the next [two decades] to come.”
Challenges: “The world is in uncertain times. I sense that luxury and fashion are also at a crossroads, where you can’t predict where things will go.”

Giuseppe Zanotti, designer
Opportunities: “We will triple our factory size to increase production capacity. We will double the size of our Madison Avenue store in New York, which will be our largest American flagship. In London, we will open our new Mayfair location.”
Challenge: “To increase communication through digital and social media. I love to see how everything changes so quickly, and I am ahead of the curve of embracing it every day.”

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Gianvito Rossi, designer
Opportunity: “To increase our direct presence in major cities worldwide. Important growth requires higher attention and organization in the production process. Highest quality is at the base of our work.”

Edoardo Caovilla, designer
Opportunity: “The development of our retail channel is a priority. I’m working to improve the quality of our direct stores.”
Challenge: “Step forward and always combine growth with evolution!”

Tim Little, founder & co-owner, Grenson
Opportunity: “The debut of our archive collection — eight replicas spanning the decades to celebrate our 150^th anniversary.”
Challenge: “Launching our New York store in January. It is incredibly exciting for our company, but a challenge to set up and operate a business 3,500 miles away.”

Cesare Casadei, designer
Opportunity: “The opening of the store in London.”
Challenge: “The development of the U.S. market.”