Shoemaker of Dreams

November 15th, 2011

I had the great fortune to see the exhibit, “Inspiration and Vision” at the Ferragamo Museum (http://www.museoferragamo.it/) during my last visit to Florence, Italy. It was truly inspiring to see what sparked the imagination of the man whose handmade shoes were coveted by actresses, royalty and the worlds movers and shakers giving him the moniker ‘Shoemaker of Dreams’. Paintings by the Paris Avant Garde, animals, bones, insects, birds, flowers, color, textiles, ceramics – in essence the world -inspired Ferragamo’s designs.He was equally fueled by his passion to make comfortable shoes for women and to help people encumbered by pain to be able to walk again. I instantly felt a deep connection to this man as I seek to make beautiful objects that spark an inner awareness – the combination of beauty and healing which Ferragamo was striving for. He mentions several times in his autobiography his belief in reincarnation. He felt he was born with instinctive knowledge of the art of shoemaking, which was due to his many lifetimes in this profession. This seemed unusual for a man born in a small village outside of Naples, Italy in 1898 and sparked my interest in his life even further.

What encouraged and inspired me as I read his autobiography were his utter passion and commitment to his work. The consequences of his unwillingness to compromise his high standards resulted in bankruptcy a few times along the course of his career but he would not give up. His story helped me to see that the road to success can be treacherous at times and it takes great fortitude to pick yourself up time after time with a fresh perspective and honor who you are and what you are called to do. It also strengthened my commitment to creating products of the highest quality. I, like Ferragamo, cannot give to the world anything but my best. It is my commitment to allow myself the time and space to fully develop my art, with the intent to bring beauty and meaning into the world and to awaken people to their true nature, which in my truth is Love. I use my resources to utilize the craftsmanship of true artisans, pay a fair wage, use high quality materials and to have my company anchored by a support team that honors and respects the integrity of one another and the world around them.
This I feel is the path to true success.