What began as a vacation friendship in Miami turned into a business partnership for Gedebe founder Giuseppe Della Badia and London investor Jean-Baptiste Wautier.
The pair officially joined forces this summer when Wautier acquired a stake in the Rome-based accessible luxury bag and shoe brand. (Terms of the deal were not disclosed.)
Wautier, who worked in London’s finance industry for decades and has deep expertise in private equity, struck out on his own in 2023 and began putting together a portfolio of investments. “I spend my time [looking at] young, fast-growing companies,” he said, noting that he was well versed in the Jimmy Choo story as the brand was emerging during its earliest years on the scene.
After several poolside chats with Della Badia, Wautier saw the potential in Gedebe after learning about the brand’s traction in the market, its sharp price point and fashion-forward aesthetic.
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“He’s been doing this for more than 10 years without any outside help. If you’ve been growing and surviving — through Covid — there’s something there,” he said. “I could see the positioning was right, the product was there, the brand was there. It was a matter of execution.”
Wautier was also impressed by Della Badia’s ability to court celebrity fans such as Beyoncé. The designer racked up major buzz in 2023 when he outfitted the songstress with 30 custom shoes for her Renaissance Tour. He also designed thigh-high velvet boots adorned with crystals for Nicki Minaj’s recent world tour.
The brand, which is stocked in Saks, Neiman Marcus, Harrods, Galeries Lafayette in Dubai and other retailers, is sold in 150 stores globally via a partnership with Massimo Bonini. Now the goal is to steadily expand distribution and build the size of the business.
“I had this great passion and ability to design, but I really needed partners in business,” Della Badia said, noting that revenues are split evenly between shoes and bags.
Going forward, Della Badia believes shoes present the biggest opportunity for growth.
“When I design, shoes drive the entire collection,” he said.
