couture footwear
Della Valle Handmade Sandals BY BRIGITTA WOHLMUTH
Above: Sandal Makers, Vincenzo and Virginia are busy at work
When Della Valle first opened up last year, we knew that it was the beginning of something really awesome. There are plenty of great shoe stores in Bermuda, but this little boutique is the first of it’s kind, offering all-Italian leather footwear tailored just to the customer’s preference. “Where I come from, they have a lot of little stores like this one,” says Vincenzo, the shoemaker and owner. As a young boy, he was an apprentice to the legendary sandal maker Antonia Viva whose store ‘L’Arte del Sandalo Caprese’ is one of the oldest in Capri, often featured in high-profile fashion mags, the likes of Forbes and Elle Italia. With Vincenzo’s skillful hands and love of fashion, opening his store on Queen Street in June 2016 was the first step to actualizing his life-long dream. But it’s clear to us now that he was only just getting started. This month, we checked back in with Vincenzo and his wife to see how business has progressed and they have a number of exiting new additions, the news of which we are thrilled to relay during this season of gift-giving:
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More Styles - Whether you’re a minimalist or glamour girl (hello
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Men’s & Unisex Shoes - We were also stoked to learn that Della Valle
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Custom Jewellery - With the abundance of beautiful materials in his workshop, Vincenzo is also happy to make custom bracelets and jewellery.
rhinestones!) at Della Valle “we cater to all different types of people” says Vincenzo’s wife, Belinda Barbieri. Custom sandals can be made flat, with a heel or wedge, and they offer a gorgeous selection of colors, embellishments and styles ranging from earthy to evening wear. And to lighten Vincenzo’s load, they’ve also recruited an additional sandal maker, Belinda is keen to inform me, “So sandals can even be ready within an hour!”
now offers men’s sandals (up to size 13) as well as unisex styles, and for Christmas they have a beautiful selection of ‘Made in Italy’ leather loafers for both sexes.
Visit Della Valle at 19 Queen Street (just after the historic Perot Post Office), or contact 236-7263 or dvsandals@gmail.com for more information. They also do pop ups and private events!
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Bermuda . December 2017