Giuseppe Zanotti

People online will tell you what they really think - there's no diplomacy. They're honest; it's good to have the feedback immediately. ”

Every season, I absorb everything around m:, the people I see on the street, the discos, the art, the music, and the energy of places from my travels. I mix all of this together, and then I begin to create. ”

To love shoes is to love problems. Every season, starting a new collection is my greatest challenge. The blank slate in front of me, starting the process all over again, there is no greater challenge. ”

You know, 65-year-olds love sneakers because they make them feel forty. ”

Hip hop is the strongest form of protest there is, and it doesn't always have to be a violent protest. It can be romantic, also. When you listen to Kanye West's 'Street Lights' for example, there's romance, there's pain - you feel the essence. I get the same thing from Drake and 2 Chainz. ”

You cannot design shoes if you only think about fashion; it's too realistic. When I design, I dream. ”

My family owned a gelateria business, so as a kid, I would always design ice cream cones. If you want to transform a shoe from design into a properly wearable product, however, you need technical knowledge. So I worked for four years inside a local shoe company. ”

Kanye West is a brilliant poet and artist. He and I work in a very similar way. We feel the vibration, the power of something, and it inspires us to create, whether it is music or design. It is the same process. Working with Kanye is a joy and great privilege. In 2012, we did collaboration together. ”

Trends are dangerous; you will fail if you design for them. You cannot follow the work of others. I have my own DNA, my own formula. I always stay true to myself and to the brand. ”

High heels are like a beauty lift. In a flat, you can feel beautiful, but a stiletto changes your mood, how you move - like a wild, beautiful animal. The idea was always to follow a woman's wardrobe, her desires. ”