The brand was born at the end of 2020, at the height of the pandemic, after a year that took an unexpected turn, making everyone question their certainties and see life from a different perspective. The decision to launch at this particular time was taken to send a message of positive awakening, showing fundamentals of fashion under a new light, from the way products are designed, to the way they are produced. As a tribute to the noble art of Italian shoe-making, A di GAETA has chosen to completely break down and reinterpret the way traditional footwear can be thought and designed, in order to adapt to the dynamic lives and evolving expectations of the modern woman.
With A di GAETA, a new concept of 'shoe tailoring' is born — a modern interpretation of tailor-made footwear, where beauty and versatility come together to create extremely adaptable footwear solutions, tailored around consumer needs.
The brand believes in a transformational shift towards customer-centricity and purpose-led products, blending style and functionality to voice modern femininity. Ever-changing footwear designs that don’t betray a woman's identity, but rather help her find the right balance between desire and need. Luxury, once characterized by exclusivity and price, needs to be redefined through the adaptation of traditional values that need to represent consumers who value 'being' over buying. As luxury becomes more accessible, A di GAETA sees an opportunity for it to also become more expressive, inclusive and thoughtful.
Angelica di Gaeta, founder and designer, merges her studies in product design at Central Saint Martins and her 14 year experience in the fashion and luxury industry to develop her own concept of modular footwear, blending fashion and functionality to create designs that can be constantly renewed and transformed.
“Women today have tight schedules and busy routines - there is the need for quick and easy products, that help women embrace life with strength and poise. Our adaptable products coach women to express themselves, styling each shoe in a range of ways that fits different situations, whilst supporting an ethical way of shopping.”
Moving beyond mainstream concepts of fashion and driven by the idea to create something authentic, unseasonal and less trend-driven, Angelica recognizes the need for a design concept that has practicality and desirability as requirements. Her user-centred approach brings her to study attentively the lifestyles and routines of modern women, in order to fully understand how to accomodate their wishes and needs.
Just two years after the launch of her own brand, at the beginning of December 2022, Angelica decides open her first Atelier - an exclusive destination, where crafts and clients can meet. Based in a prestigious historic Italian building, called Palazzo Marietti, in the heart of le 5 Vie - the oldest Milanese district. !e atelier is surrounded by elegant galleries, crafts and antique shops, ateliers and artists' studios, all characterised by a profound vocation for research. Our first location will serve as a shop, atelier, showroom, woman’s club and a shoe-laboratory.
