With a captivating mix of Latin American vibes and the ballet aesthetics, designer Paola Michel Pizá has debuted her namesake footwear brand.
After years spent in the design studio of Tod’s and later as the creative director of the AF Studio-owned brands Sebastian Milano and The Saddler, the 31-year-old Mexican designer — who is based in Milan — was ready to channel her creativity into a solo project.
The first collection, debuting on the newly launched Michel Piza e-commerce site, sets the foundation for the brand’s aesthetics rooted in minimal shoe designs with a flair, the latter courtesy of unexpected twists such as the leopard motif on a slipper style or the curved shape of heels.
“These are somewhat summery designs, but they capture my Latin roots,” Michel Pizá said.
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Called “Essenza,” or “Essence” in English, the lineup comprises four designs including Zay, a reinterpretation of the traditional Moroccan slippers, Anna, a ballerina flat with laces nodding to pointe shoes, as well as Alessa and Sylvie, two low-heeled sandals. Their silhouette, uncomplicated but sinuous, is reminiscent of the delicate gestures and movements of ballet dancers.
“I want to offer effortless shoes that can easily transition across different occasions of use, very versatile,” Michel Pizá said. “If I can shorten the time a girl spends thinking about her shoe of choice, then I achieved my goal,” she offered.
In developing the slanted heel with visible stitching, for example, the designer studied several heights and widths to ensure that the sandals were comfortable but alluring and that no customer would get stuck while strolling down the cobbled streets of Milan.
She relocated to Milan from Guadalajara, Mexico in 2015, and studied accessories design at Istituto Marangoni after a prolific career as a classical ballet dancer, deeply informed the design process.
“[My target customers] are girls and women in the 20s through 40s with a cosmopolite attitude, who appreciate art and creativity but also values life’s simplicity,” Michel Pizá offered. Cue the brand’s Instagram profile that juxtaposes snapshots of Michel Piza shoes with branding content of a cob or flowers.
Michel Piza’s footwear designs retail on average between 550 and 570 euros.
