CASADEI S/S 2014 Marrakesh Meets Sensual Modernism The Moroccan Berber culture and its decorative art. The allure and dangerous sensuality of the divas of American noir. Suggestions, materials and constructions in a modernist spirit. Cesare Casadei's new Spring/Summer 2014 collection takes us on a special journey that melds the atmospheres and cultures of faraway places to create a balance of novel surprise. The point of departure is the eclectic cultural richness of Morocco and the aesthetic universe that changes continuously from north to south. The colour palette dips into exclusively natural hues, such as white, sand, nude and gold. The burnished silver finishings are transformed into aged golden leathers, etched and coupled with micro-chains. Pitch black kohl tattoos the leather borders as if to underscore their seductive gaze. Mirrored surfaces envelope the backs of the uppers like shields. The intricate, three-dimensional minaret designs give the heels a sculptured effect and inspire the patterns of the carved skins, mounted on a mesh that veils the foot like a fishnet stocking. In fact, it's the allure of a film noir diva, as if the exotic citation could turn into something else entirely. And so, the pump makes its comeback but with a modern, tapered twist in a game of transparencies that pays homage to the dark ladies spawned by the imagination of James Ellroy, the writer that wrote about the dark side of 1950s Los Angeles. The structures herald a new modernism, a desire for more simple volumes and heights and an unusual lightness. The plateaus hidden in single soles give a gliding impetus to body posture. As airy as a glass of champagne, the fluted heel of the lower models give them unexpected élan, while the line of spectacular sculpture-effect flats adds the final touch to this highly sophisticated collection.

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CASADEI A/W 2014-2015 The parties thrown by Cole Porter in Venice in the Roaring Twenties. The cabaret ensembles of the international actresses, stars and socialites that crossed the San Marco Canal on gondolas to reach palaces ablaze with candlelight. But also the vintage yet contemporary beat of Daft Punk's latest album and the eclectic glamour of the band's electronic rock music that has cast its spell over the today generations. Casadei unveils a new A/W collection that is the impossible synthesis of two worlds, so remote yet so close, two aesthetic suggestions that end up living together in a harmony of contrasts. The contrastive twist is immediately noticeable in the details: gold, silver and copper chains and lustrous metal elements mingle with python, animalier prints and nude-effect mesh inserts. The suede pumps seem to be airbrushed with the warm and dense colours of the makeup worn by women in the Twenties, creating a symphony of sensual and sophisticated shades that range from fuchsia, grape, aubergine, ardesia to aztec blue. Daytime shoes tread a lot more ground in this collection with softer styles, such as the brand new camperos style, that are perfect for the everyday. The constructions add the final polish to the original inspiration. On the one side, stiletto or cylindrical rock heels; on the other, reminiscent of the whirly-twirly decorative motifs of the Venetian gondolas, the heels of gold coronate the sculptural intarsia effect. The virtuoso finale to a symphony of opposites. Casadei F/W 2014-2015 is available on our online boutique at www.casadei.com

Cesare Casadei has created the capsule CASADEI MINI BLADE COLLECTION to celebrate the iconic BLADE heel, the protagonist of the F/W 14-15 season. The BLADE, loved by all international celebrities, was first launched for F/W 2011-12 and is distinguished by the steel heel, as sleek and sharp as a razorblade. CASADEI MINI BLADE COLLECTION is inspired by the winter collection, the parties thrown by Cole Porter in Venice in the Twenties and is composed of a sandal in laminated gold fine leather and in soft red suede and of a pump in black suede. The key feature of the collection, a play of twisted ribbons, delicately embraces the foot, highlighting its femininity and embodying a sophisticated sensuality; this brings together design and Italian craftsmanship, distinctive elements of Casadei. On the occasion of the arrival of the collection in the online boutique of the brand Casadei launches the video "THE MINI BLADE COLLECTION". The capsule collection will be available exclusively at CASADEI.COM from the 9th of October 2014 at the following link: www.casadei.com/

Tradition: 1958-1994 Casadei was founded in 1958,in a small workshop in San Mauro Pascoli, where Quinto and Flora Casadei created the first collection of sandals designed for tourists holidaying on the Italian Riviera. It was the time of the economic boom and the "Made-in-Italy" miracle. In just ten years, the workshop was transformed into a small, highly specialized footwear business which exported its products to Germany and the USA. During the Seventies, its growth continued with the first advertising campaigns, exports to Japan and the opening, in 1977, of its first single-brand store in Brussels. The Eighties, instead, saw consolidation of the brand on international markets including, first and foremost, the Middle East. The new generation: 1994 1994 was the most difficult yet important year: it represented a passage of rite between one generation and the next when Cesare Cadei, Quinto and Flora' son, joined the company as its creative director. Cesare's strength was his all-round vision of the company, thanks to know-how acquired on-site which he experienced first-hand from production to marketing right up to creativity. Cesare was the link between two worlds: on the one the hand, the pioneers of "Made-in-Italy" craftsmanship and, on the other, the managers and designers whose task it was to promote the image of the brand on an international level. Growth: 2000-2010 In the year two thousand, Casadei decided to consolidate his roots of high-class artisan tradition: skins, colours and styles were created on an exclusive basis using dedicated suppliers. The footwear industrialization process subsequently became a jewel of craftsmanship, a heritage that it was impossible to imitate. At the same time, he continued with the modernization of distribution and communication. In 2002, the Milanese showroom relocated to Via dell'Annunciata, where, following a recent restyling operation, it is still headquartered today. Sales continued to increase, followed by the opening of a series of single-brand boutiques. During these years, international celebrities were photographed wearing Casadei creations on their feet, thus consolidating the brand in the eyes of the fashion system. At the same time, the best-known talents of photography, including names of the calibre of Nick Knight, Mario Testino, Javier Vallhonrat and Raymond Meier, were chosen to shoot the company's advertising campaigns. In 2008, Ellen von Unwerth, was commissioned to commemorate the brand's 50-year-old history with a book and an exhibition that trace all the moments that made this miracle of style possible. Developments and the future To-date, the business boasts a growth rate of +20% per year, with 16 flagship stores, a new showroom in New York, the opening of corners and shop-in-shops in Russia as well as expansion towards China and the Middle East. In spite of the recession, the Italian market continues to grow, based, above all, on brand awareness, superior quality and undying customer loyalty. In addition to the traditional retail network, the company has now entered the era of the Internet with its new www.casadei.com website, a virtual reflection of the aesthetics and creativity of the brand which will soon be completed with an e-commerce venture to satisfy the new requirements of the hyper-connected global market. Furthermore, Casadei is currently working on a number of special projects including the collaboration with the up-and-coming international designer Prabal Gurung, a young, rising star of American fashion, for whom Casadei has developed the footwear for his 2013 Spring/Summer collection.