designer

3Apr

By Web TeamNo Comments

Italy, Noteworthy, Profiles

Sergio Rossi, shoe designer

Sergio Rossi, an Italian shoe designer who founded his own brand, died due to coronavirus on 2 April 2020. Rossi was born in San Mauro Pascoli in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. He worked with his father, a shoemaker, and learned the trade. In 1951, he opened his first shoe store. He also made sandals and sold them to beach-goers in Rimini and at Bologna boutiques. In 1968, the first shoes, marked with the Rossi brand, were produced. Each pair of shoes took at least 14 hours to make and went through 120 different stages. They were seen on runways for Gianni Versace, Azzedine Alaia and Dolce & Gabbana. He first gained attention in 1960 when film director Federico Fellini used his shoe for actress Anita Ekberg in La Dolce Vita. ...

Ito Curata, fashion designer

Ito Curata –a Filipino fashion designer who specialized in conceptualizing bridal gowns and Filipiniana clothing – succumbed to Covid-19 on 26 March 2020. Among his notable clients were Hollywood actress Sharon Stone, former Philippine president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, and Filipino actress Bea Alonzo. Curata died on March 26, 2020 due to pneumonia, a complication from COVID-19 infection. He and his partner Miller were admitted to a hospital due to COVID-19 symptoms. Curata adopted a son with Miller in 2006.

Jenny Polanco, fashion designer

Jenny Altagracia Polanco de Léon – a Dominican fashion designer – died from Covid-19 on March 24, 2020. Polanco, whose professional career spanned more than 37 years, was known for ready-to-wear women's clothing, jewelery, woven handbags, and other accessories that incorporated Dominican and Caribbean cultural elements into her collections. Her work was showcased throughout the Caribbean, the United States and Europe, including the Bahamas, New York City, Paris, Puerto Rico, and Miami Fashion Week. Polanco was born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, on January 18, 1958. As a child, she began making clothing and costumes for her Barbie dolls. Polanco would later design clothing for herself during college. She earned her degree in int...