Sebastian Milano is paying homage to the legendary Grace Jones with a new limited-edition shoe called the “Muse.”
The Italian luxury footwear brand’s creative director Dori Hazan told FN in an interview that the name of the shoe comes from his favorite album by Jones, which bears the same title.
“Grace Jones stands as a paragon of innovation, epitomizing the avant-garde spirit of New York’s 1970s Studio 54 nightlife,” Hazan said. “A true chameleon, she was ahead of her time, embodying a spectrum of femininity and redefining gender norms through her ever-evolving persona. This is my debut collection as creative director, choosing Grace Jones as a source of inspiration was a great way to explore many dimensions of femininity and to create a vibrant and colorful summer collection.”
As for the design itself, the made-in-Italy shoe is constructed in black patent leather and features a red crystal embellished oval near the toe that mimics the Philip Treacy hat worn by Jones in the famous Kevin Davies photography from the 1990s.
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According to Hazan, only 99 pairs will be produced of the new Muse shoe as part of a new limited-edition series that will see the release of one special silhouette per season along with the brand’s seasonal collection.
“Each pair comes with an authenticity card and a number stamped inside to show how rare they are,” Hazan noted. “We see each limited-edition as a piece of art, and we bring this care to every shoe we make.”
The inspiration behind the design is fitting given that Sebastian Milano got its start in the early 1970s in a small boutique on via Gesù in the Quadrilatero della Moda of Milan. After a hiatus, the brand reemerged in 2018 under the leadership of brand director Angelica Fagioli and her team.
Last September, the company took another step forward with the opening of a new showroom located in a historic palace behind the famous Castello Sforzesco in Milan. At the opening event, Fagioli unveiled the brand’s first collection designed by Hazan.
Now, the brand’s shoes are available around the world at retailers like Level Shoes in Dubai, Printemps in Paris, Kalogirou in Greece, David Jones in Australia and Fifty One East in Qatar. This year Sebastian Milano will also enter the U.S. market with several more retailers, Hazan said.
Inclusivity is also a major message from the revitalized brand. According to the creative director, the brand’s shoes are produced in a range of sizes from 35 to 44 as part of its “Fem For All” mission. “We are committed to diversity, ensuring everyone can express their femininity through our designs,” Hazan said. “One of our core values is inclusivity, allowing everyone—regardless of gender—to enjoy our feminine shoes.”
Sebastian Milano’s new Muse heel, which retails for 795 euros, is now available via the company’s website.
