Sergio Rossi is an Italian fashion designer and distributor of women's shoes and handbags, as well as a limited range of men's shoes. The Sergio Rossi label is owned by the French conglomerate PPR.
Rossi started working with his father, a shoemaker in San Mauro Pascoli, in the Romagna region of Italy in the 1950s.[1] He moved to Milan for two years, and started selling his own shoes to shops in Bologna in 1966.[1] He is perhaps best known for his collaborations with Gianni Versace in the 1970s, and Dolce & Gabbana in the 1990s.[1]
The first boutique to bear his name opened in Ancona, and the company expanded internationally through the 1980s and 1990s.[1] This culminated in 1999, when it was bought by the Gucci Group.[1]
In 2011 Sergio Rossi operates 38 directly owned stores and 29 franchisee stores, including a dedicated men's shop in Milan and an online boutique for the US. The current Creative Director is Francesco Russo.[1]
In 2009, in a move to demonstrate that luxury and fashion can be combined with sustainability, Sergio Rossi launched the Eco Pump, a biodegradable fashion shoe made using Liquid Wood (derived from lignin) in the heel and sole, and leather uppers tanned using eco sensitive tanners. Part of the proceeds from its sale are being given to GoodPlanet.org.[2]
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