Joshua Sanders’ Vittorio Cordella on How to Make a Brand Stand Out

For Footwear News Emerging Talent 2017, the fashion team selected 32 of the most promising and progressive names in shoes to know right now. The specifications we looked for were both formalized and guided by editorial instincts, drawing us to a diverse mixture of personalities that fused originality, intuition, verve, business savvy, on-point branding, quality, point of view, personality, cool factor, unwavering style and passion. Read on.

JOSHUA SANDERS, Vittorio Cordella

LAUNCHED: 2012

BASE: “Milan, Italy. It’s the core of Italian business development and city that in the recent past has grown very fast as metropolitan area drawing international attention.”

MADE IN: Italy

YOUR SHOES IN THREE WORDS: “One of a kind, versatile and innovative.”

COMPETITIVE EDGE: “What makes our brand unique are the people working behind the scenes: different tastes, styles and minds. Joshua Sanders is a perfect blend of international research, Italian manufacturing and innovative ideas.”

Vittorio Cordella, Joshua Sanders, emerging talent
Vittorio Cordella of Joshua Sanders.
CREDIT: Courtesy of brand

SHOP TALK: Colette, Le Bon Marché, IT, Harrods, Saks Fifth Avenue, Ssense.com. “In over five continents, our shoes are sold at 350 stores.”

BREAKTHROUGH MOMENT: “During one of my first trips to Japan, I found vintage American university sweatshirts and hoodies. At that moment the idea of creating slip-on shoes with applied patches became a real project to bring to life.”

WISE WORDS: “Find reliable and trustworthy suppliers you’ll be always able to count on.”

WORST ADVICE: “To expand and increase distribution to make products extremely reachable.”

PROUDEST ACCOMPLISHMENT: “The achievement I’m most proud of is surely my collaboration with Colette during the last five years. Since the early beginning, Sarah [Andelman] and I have shared a common vision that led to amazing collaborations and special projects where Joshua Sanders and Colette have shown off their distinctiveness.”

NEXT UP: “The launch of three new brands that I will bring to life with my team.”

FUTURE GOALS: “I want to contribute to changing Italian people’s habits, showing them through my projects and vision how much we could gain by being more open-minded and modern.”

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