How Giuseppe Zanotti Became a Pop Star Staple

Giuseppe Zanotti's atelier in northern Italy doubles as a museum retrospective of his career. One after another, he holds up shoes to his Zoom camera for me to admire: a towering pair embellished with gold leaf, a stiletto ringed with concentric circles of beading. But his trove doesn't just include fashion; next, he brandishes an image of his younger self, clutching a record by the '70s R&B group the Detroit Emeralds like a prized possession. Before Zanotti was a designer, he was a radio DJ—spending much of his salary on accumulating records by everyone from Diana Ross and The Jackson 5 to Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix. "Vinyl was my internet," he says, his portal into another world of music and style. And over the course of 30 years, he's dressed musicians from Mariah Carey to Rihanna and Taylor Swift. (The burgundy over-the-knee boots Swift recently sported to a Chiefs game were, he tells me, a reimagining of a style he introduced 22 years ago.)

Though Zanotti is looking back on three decades under his own shingle, he tells me that his career in fashion adds up to more like four. He first consulted for brands like Thierry Mugler and The Beene Bag (Geoffrey Beene's cleverly named diffusion line), learning to expertly interpret another house's vision. When he started his own label, he had a signature flourish in place: tricking out his stilettos and flats with endless embellishments.

Back then, he says, "the designer was the driver of the outfit." Customers considered themselves a Brand X or Y woman, and "the total look was the imperative. Now, the clientele is super smart and not so [brand] loyal."

View in Browser  Though Zanotti is looking back on three decades under his own shingle, he tells me that his career in fashion adds up to more like four. He first consulted for brands like Thierry Mugler and The Beene Bag (Geoffrey Beene's cleverly named diffusion line), learning to expertly interpret another house's vision. When he started his own label, he had a signature flourish in place: tricking out his stilettos and flats with endless embellishments. Back then, he says, "the designer was the driver of the outfit." Customers considered themselves a Brand X or Y woman, and "the total look was the imperative. Now, the clientele is super smart and not so [brand] loyal."" title="Giuseppe Zanotti's atelier in northern Italy doubles as a museum retrospective of his career. One after another, he holds up shoes to his Zoom camera for me to admire: a towering pair embellished with gold leaf, a stiletto ringed with concentric circles of beading. But his trove doesn't just include fashion; next, he brandishes an image of his younger self, clutching a record by the '70s R&B group the Detroit Emeralds like a prized possession. Before Zanotti was a designer, he was a radio DJ—spending much of his salary on accumulating records by everyone from Diana Ross and The Jackson 5 to Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix. "Vinyl was my internet," he says, his portal into another world of music and style. And over the course of 30 years, he's dressed musicians from Mariah Carey to Rihanna and Taylor Swift. (The burgundy over-the-knee boots Swift recently sported to a Chiefs game were, he tells me, a reimagining of a style he introduced 22 years ago.) Though Zanotti is looking back on three decades under his own shingle, he tells me that his career in fashion adds up to more like four. He first consulted for brands like Thierry Mugler and The Beene Bag (Geoffrey Beene's cleverly named diffusion line), learning to expertly interpret another house's vision. When he started his own label, he had a signature flourish in place: tricking out his stilettos and flats with endless embellishments. Back then, he says, "the designer was the driver of the outfit." Customers considered themselves a Brand X or Y woman, and "the total look was the imperative. Now, the clientele is super smart and not so [brand] loyal."" height="auto"> How Giuseppe Zanotti Became a Pop Star Staple Giuseppe Zanotti's atelier in northern Italy doubles as a museum retrospective of his career. One after another, he holds up shoes to his Zoom camera for me to admire: a towering pair embellished with gold leaf, a stiletto ringed with concentric circles of beading. But his trove doesn't just include fashion; next, he brandishes an image of his younger self, clutching a record by the '70s R&B group the Detroit Emeralds like a prized possession. Before Zanotti was a designer, he was a radio DJ—spending much of his salary on accumulating records by everyone from Diana Ross and The Jackson 5 to Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix. "Vinyl was my internet," he says, his portal into another world of music and style. And over the course of 30 years, he's dressed musicians from Mariah Carey to Rihanna and Taylor Swift. (The burgundy over-the-knee boots Swift recently sported to a Chiefs game were, he tells me, a reimagining of a style he introduced 22 years ago.) Though Zanotti is looking back on three decades under his own shingle, he tells me that his career in fashion adds up to more like four. He first consulted for brands like Thierry Mugler and The Beene Bag (Geoffrey Beene's cleverly named diffusion line), learning to expertly interpret another house's vision. When he started his own label, he had a signature flourish in place: tricking out his stilettos and flats with endless embellishments. Back then, he says, "the designer was the driver of the outfit." Customers considered themselves a Brand X or Y woman, and "the total look was the imperative. Now, the clientele is super smart and not so [brand] loyal." READ MORE 'Squid Game' Season 2's End Credits Scene Reveals a Terrifying Twist It teases "the most exciting game" of the third and final season, the showrunner says. READ MORE Dua Lipa Shares Adorable Photo With Rumored Fiancé Callum Turner They look so in love. READ MORE In 'A Complete Unknown,' Sylvie Russo Is Fictional. Her Experience Is Not. The character stands in for the real-life Suze Rotolo, whose relationship with Bob Dylan helped shape a legend. 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