The Bite Magazine - Summer 2019 - Issue 25

bite shoe constantly the “sound of whirling sewing machines, and the smacks of hammers filled the air while men and women careful- ly packaged the polished shoes into their green boxes” it can be an exciting revelation to a young person. As one of his six children explained his influential spirit: “Pas- cual, my father, learned shoemaking from my grandfather at a young age. It is an exacting craft not suited for the impatient. He thrived on its precise nature and the satisfaction of turning a sketch into a gentleman’s favourite pair of shoes. Pascual’s drive for perfection motivated him to become head designer before turning 20 years old. Under his leadership and fuelled with a passion for creating a line of shoes more elegant and luxurious than ever before, [he] rebranded the company under a new name, Magnanni.” With the third generation of the Blanco family joining their fa- ther in the business from 1989 onwards, we have Miguel as the Director of Manufacturing; Pascual as the Director of Sales for America and Asia; Sebastián as the General Manager; Luis as the Director of Design and Creation; Rocío as the Managing Di- rector of Sales for France; and Julio as the Director of Customer Service, Sales Management and Production. All of these amaz- ing and creative individuals ensure that the Magnanni spirit is dedicated to a vision of style that is as pure as it is sophisticated, as iconic as it is modern. “To truly understand this vision,” they explain, “imagine Al- mansa, Spain: sun swept olive orchards, timeless windmills, and fertile vineyards that evoke a sense of classic literary and cinematic romance. In this realm of timelessness, the Magnanni family has cultivated the fine art of shoemaking for three gener- ations. Inspired by the passions rising from the landscape, arti- sans transform raw leather into finely chiseled sculpture for the worldly man.” A quote by author Lennart Svensson which says, “the world is an artwork deliberately and intelligently created” truly captures the essence of this brand. For spring/summer 2019, the collection is designed to embody the spirit of adventure which is at the core of the brand’s shoe design. Whether it is walking along the beach, climbing a rocky hill and looking out to sea, or out on a boat, a Magnanni shoe can withstand the elements, as well as continuing to paint the family’s shoemaking heritage through the panorama of fashion. With signature colours, styles, and designs developed from three generations of artisan techniques, the style of these shoes have maintained the standards set by the Blanco family tradition. Crafted like a true work of art, the Ondara II in Taupe, Cognac and Black is a sleek, mixed media double-buckle monk strap shoe with a stitched cap toe. The front buckle sweeps back to create a bold modern look while the toe and vamp, crafted in hand-dyed taupe, cognac and black leather, is accented by their Grabado stamped leather on the buckle strap and heel. Ond- ara II features an Artesano sole which is wrapped onto the up- per and then handstitched by master artisans. The Taupe has a leather lined Bologna construction that offers an all-leather cushioned footbed and unrivalled flexibility. Belago Cuero, a smart-casual Oxford shoe with a smooth rus- tic effect is crafted in a supple, hand-dyed calfskin. The whole cut design is combined with a light grey mini-lug rubber sole accented with a natural leather welt and stacked heel. This style also contains a Bologna construction which wraps the foot in leather creating unrivalled flexibility, and features an addition- al footbed cushion for increased comfort. The amazing colour elements of this shoe, especially the darker tone on the toe cap, really makes this remarkable style stand out and one to be ad- mired. Another Oxford shoe is the two-toned Cantabria Cuero and Brown with sleek stylistic lines on the cuero upper. It is merged to create the accent panel at the heel which is then hand-dyed to a handsome dark brown. Just like the Ondara II, it features an Artesano sole, but in this particular style it is a double, which is wrapped onto the upper on both the inner and outer arch and then hand-stitched by master artisans. While the Arman- do Grey, a modern 3-eyelet whole cut Oxford shoe is a hand- stitched design with a leather line Bologna construction that shows off the two-toned hand-dyed patina. Images courtesy of Magnanni