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The Berluti shoe thread

LabelKing

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Originally Posted by Naturlaut II
As I said, the leather tends to get a bit dry, and the flash from the camera reveals every detail of the natural blemishes of the leather. It actually looks okay in person: not great, but still okay. That said, I don't own many pairs of Berluti RTW and am plotting on a pair of bespoke made in their Parisian atelier, but I was told off by Olga as being "not ready" for a Berluti bespoke. Whatever that means.

Does there need to be an invitation?

I wouldn't deign to enter their store if someone ever said that to me.
 

bengal-stripe

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Originally Posted by Naturlaut II
but I was told off by Olga as being "not ready" for a Berluti bespoke. Whatever that means.
"Not ready", that's what the Freemasons or the Scientologists might say, but Berluti is a commercial enterprise. Doesn't Mme Olga realize that and does she see herself as the high-priestess of a quasi-religious cult?

How do you get "ready"? By chanting "Olga-Krishna" all day long? She must have fallen victim to the company's PR hype.
 

Naturlaut II

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Okay, it was one of those polishing orgies she holds, and I casually told her (in my broken French) that I might be visiting her for a bespoke commission. She asked if I already had a design in mind, to which I gingerly mumbled something like a "not really"; she then held my hands and said I'm not ready yet.

Ok... gotcha. Meanwhile I've already been through the Aubercy and Gomez drill and I haven't had a chance to think of a Berluti shoe.
 

RJman

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Originally Posted by bengal-stripe
"Not ready", that's what the Freemasons or the Scientologists might say, but Berluti is a commercial enterprise. Doesn't Mme Olga realize that and does she see herself as the high-priestess of a quasi-religious cult?

How do you get "ready"? By chanting "Olga-Krishna" all day long? She must have fallen victim to the company's PR hype.


I hear there's a power vacuum in the Central African Republic... perhaps they need a new emperor, Naturlaut? Berluti has some history with the rulers of CAR... or of Panama...
 

texas_jack

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Originally Posted by bengal-stripe
"Not ready", that's what the Freemasons or the Scientologists might say, but Berluti is a commercial enterprise. Doesn't Mme Olga realize that and does she see herself as the high-priestess of a quasi-religious cult?

How do you get "ready"? By chanting "Olga-Krishna" all day long? She must have fallen victim to the company's PR hype.



This may be a Ferrari type situation whereby you don't get to own the FXX till you have bought many many lower models.
 

lasbar

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I do find Berluti as annoying as the stuffy "suit you sir" tailors form Savile row...
I know we're buying into the myth ,the Berluti mystic but...............
Being patronized by Olga herself is one thing and some people are loving it but when it is coming from one of our glorified sales people!!!!!!!!!!!!
boxing[1].gif

I do remeber going to the Conduit street shop in London where a young blonde lady told me that i did not understand Berluti...
Ok ,i have spent my pounds on that day with the friendly director of John Lobb jermyn street...
I will never come back to berluti and i never wear my Alessandro and i'm spending my euro/pounds with Delos and Gaziano...
 

RJman

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Originally Posted by lasbar
I do find Berluti as annoying as the stuffy "suit you sir" tailors form Savile row...
I confess, I haven't met such tailors. A stereotype survives by the investment of those willing to believe in it without doing their due diligence.
 

lasbar

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I do have a very questionable approach to social etiquette making me very prone to extreme mood swings!!!!!!!!
lol8[1].gif

I can very "excentrique"...
I do like a very direct working relationship based on trust and respect....
I'm very good on networking but sometimes quite weak on strict etiquette ...
I go ,i ask the price ,i pay and the rest is comedy...
I do expect to be entertained not bored to death..............
 

RIDER

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Interesting thread.

For sure, you either love them or hate them....not much middle ground. For us in the business, we always look at their designs, and are jealous of the extreme loyalty of their customers; all the while rolling our eyes in the back of our heads. Ask an Italian shoe person, and that will be the reaction. In Italy, there is a word - 'garbo', and, while difficult to translate, Berluti embodies it. Basically, it means bullshit.....but with grace - the ability to convince foreigners that they are welcome, that everyone here is available to serve them and that the most special circumstances have just occured to make your visit the highlight of their day, if not week or even month. It's a well orchestrated, and time proven, charade.

Giancarlo, the owner of our factory, got into some trouble 2 years ago as, after Berluti asked us to do some of their work, we received the instructions of production that included 45 minutes to 1 hour of hand rubbing each pair (the finish is not anything special....simply alcohol and time)....which in and of itself is not so unusual, unless you are only getting 12 euro for the finishing! GC was so insulted that he goes and writes a letter to the trade paper in Vegevano (a town of mainly shoe factories) warning anyone not to bother taking a meeting with them as they want to pay 'Ethiopia money'. Didn't go over so well....

Here is a picture of Mr. Berluti in not so opulent surroundings.

68htxr7.jpg
[/IMG]
 

DocHolliday

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Originally Posted by RIDER
Giancarlo, the owner of our factory, got into some trouble 2 years ago as, after Berluti asked us to do some of their work, we received the instructions of production that included 45 minutes to 1 hour of hand rubbing each pair (the finish is not anything special....simply alcohol and time

Can you elaborate on this, Ron? What actually happens?
 

stilmacher

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Originally Posted by RIDER
Interesting thread.

In Italy, there is a word - 'garbo', and, while difficult to translate, Berluti embodies it. Basically, it means bullshit.....but with grace - the ability to convince foreigners that they are welcome, that everyone here is available to serve them and that the most special circumstances have just occured to make your visit the highlight of their day, if not week or even month. It's a well orchestrated, and time proven, charade.

68htxr7.jpg
[/IMG]



I recently posted something on the subject and the amount of angry replies was astonishing. Having been a Berlutian myself, I sort of understand that. Nonetheless it is a fact that Berluti is almost a pure marketing construction unparelled in the shoe world (maybe by Crocs...).
So "garbo" is about right...
 

lasbar

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We do have an expression to describe Garbo in French "poudre aux yeux"....
Berluti is a bit "Love them or loathe them".....
The brand name is always bringing extreme reactions....
I did buy twice into the mystics but their charade ,poudre aux yeux ,garbo is not for me....
Their shoes are like beautiful models we all like to be seen with before we realise they are actually shallow and uninteresting persons....
Too much antique,protocole and history for me....
I want not only beautiful shoes but also good leather and construction and i'm paying an obscene amount of money for that.....
I do not give a scooby about Olga berluti and her aura ,i just want very good shoes...
 

A Harris

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How do you get "ready"? By chanting "Olga-Krishna" all day long? She must have fallen victim to the company's PR hype.
laugh.gif
 

ABALO

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Originally Posted by lasbar
We do have an expression to describe Garbo in French "poudre aux yeux"....
Berluti is a bit "Love them or loathe them".....
The brand name is always bringing extreme reactions....
I did buy twice into the mystics but their charade ,poudre aux yeux ,garbo is not for me....
Their shoes are like beautiful models we all like to be seen with before we realise they are actually shallow and uninteresting persons....
Too much antique,protocole and history for me....
I want not only beautiful shoes but also good leather and construction and i'm paying an obscene amount of money for that.....
I do not give a scooby about Olga berluti and her aura ,i just want very good shoes...


Originally Posted by lasbar
I do have a very questionable approach to social etiquette making me very prone to extreme mood swings!!!!!!!!
lol8[1].gif

I can very "excentrique"...
I do like a very direct working relationship based on trust and respect....
I'm very good on networking but sometimes quite weak on strict etiquette ...
I go ,i ask the price ,i pay and the rest is comedy...
I do expect to be entertained not bored to death..............


Originally Posted by lasbar
I do find Berluti as annoying as the stuffy "suit you sir" tailors form Savile row...
I know we're buying into the myth ,the Berluti mystic but...............
Being patronized by Olga herself is one thing and some people are loving it but when it is coming from one of our glorified sales people!!!!!!!!!!!!
boxing[1].gif

I do remeber going to the Conduit street shop in London where a young blonde lady told me that i did not understand Berluti...
Ok ,i have spent my pounds on that day with the friendly director of John Lobb jermyn street...
I will never come back to berluti and i never wear my Alessandro and i'm spending my euro/pounds with Delos and Gaziano...


Originally Posted by lasbar
Dimitri Gomez is a fantastic shoe designer and everybody in the shoe world will tell you the same thing about him..
I'm sorry if i did offend some Vass followers but i'm not unfortunately a big fan....
I do try to talk about designers i do know but i'm open-minded on new styles...


Originally Posted by lasbar
Normally the name of Berluti is always quite controversial on every fashion forums i have been to....
I do own Berluti RTW and i do know their limits in terms of quality but Berluti bespoke is up there with the best....
Berluti is the most creative shoemakers in the world and they introduced us to different patinas being acceptable on our shoes...
On the negative side ,certain models are very challenging (too much for me to be honest!!!!!) and they suffer from an "esprit de chapelle" making them a bit snobish and up themselves...
The Venezia leather is also to fragile to my liking being a Lobbist...
Corthay is very interesting and very creative....The workmanship is very very high and the model are welll made ....Not my cup of tea in terms of shapes but i do respect the brothers because they're real artisans with vision and passion...
Anthony Delos is very good ...He was trained in John Lobb workshops and is the perfect mix between a French artisan with vision and skills and the British sense of measure and elegance...
He is making me two pairs of bespoke at the moment and i would recommend him over a lot of more famous names of this forum....
Dimitri Gomez is also excellent.and starting to be worlwide reconition.....
On the Italian versus British debate ,even if i do prefer Italian tailors than their English counterparts ,i do not like Italian shoes.....
I love hybrid modelssuch asDelos orDimitri Gomez because they mix English sense of elegancewithsome Latin twist making their shoes as beautiful as well constructed....


Originally Posted by lasbar
To be perfectly honest ,Anthony Delos told me himself that Dimitri Gomez is one of the best in the world at the moment!!!!!!!!!!!
worship.gif

I do like Anthony because he is not catty or bitchy ....
He has got a lot of respect for others such Gaziano and Corthay and i do like this quality in a man....
Learning from others and appreciating their works will make him better every year....
I do think that Corthay,Gomez ,DelosandGaziano are the best with the Japanese masters such asSuzuki and others...



SO, WHAT IS YOUR POINT ???
 

RJman

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oh great the french are eating their own now...
 

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