Designer Giuseppe Zanotti, who has spent 20 years designing shoes that have cemented his status as a footwear legend, penned a short article for Style.com explaining what it was like to work with Kanye West. Perhaps the best part though is the detailed breakdown he gives of their collaborations, from the "Cruel Summer" sandals inspired by Kanye and sex to the more mysterious and lesser known info on their sneakers.
According to Zanotti, he and Kanye met at a charity event in Milan in 2009. Given the rapper's interest in fashion and design, he asked to visit Zanotti's factory ,and working together was, as Zanotti says, "a natural progression." "He taught me something, I taught him something," he writes. "I showed him my archives, and he sang something for me and my team. It was good synergy, exchange of sensation, and love."
What resulted from their "longtime" friendship and collaboration were four pairs of shoes exclusively made for Kanye's debut Spring 2012 runway show in Paris, including the the beaded sandals Kim Kardashian wore to the show.
Zanotti also touches on the never-released sneaker he and Kanye designed, revealing that they worked on it at the same time he launched his first men's collection in June 2012, which included a pair inspired by the rapper.
He also writes about the shoes they designed that were inspired by G.O.O.D Music's album Cruel Summer. The sandals were released the same time the album was and, as Zanotti explains, became one of his "most iconic styles," even prompting him to design a limited-edition version of the shoe in celebration of his 20th anniversary.
Now, if only Zanotti or Kanye would show images or sketches of the sneakers they designed.
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