Alexandre Birman Fetes Capsule With Antonia With Plenty of Shoe Signing
MILAN — Add “sign now” to the see-now-buy-now format, at least when it comes to Alexandre Birman.
The Brazilian footwear designer was caught in plenty of shoe signing at the cocktail celebrating his namesake label’s partnership with luxury retailer Antonia here on Tuesday.
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Gathered on the opening evening of Milan Fashion Week at Antonia’s location in the former archbishop seminary on central Corso Venezia that also houses Ferragamo’s new Portrait Milano hotel, the fashion crowd seized the moment for some shopping. Guests and loyal customers of the retailer rushed to try on the exclusive sandals marking the tie-up and have their new purchases sealed with Birman’s signature.
The friendly and informal vibe suited both Birman’s relaxed attitude and the bubbly personality of Antonia Giacinti, who established Antonia Milano as an upscale accessories store in 1999. The retailer later expanded to include women’s and menswear, the latter steered by cofounder Maurizio Purificato.
“I’ve been friends with Antonia [Giacinti] for many years. I’ve basically started the Alexandre Birman brand with her, and she often comes to Brazil; she loves it,” said Birman in between sole signing. “We had this idea of the collaboration last year for the opening of this store, which is very special for the world, not only for Milan. This is going to be the place where fashion will breathe novelty, so we decided to design a special shoe style available exclusively here.”
As reported, last year Antonia unveiled its second outpost in the city inside the colonnaded courtyard of the Portrait complex. Covering around 8,000 square feet, the retail space carries a mix of established designers and new names for men and women, as well as offering branded concept corners in rotation and a