20 years of giving women choices when it comes to great-looking shoes is a milestone indeed. New Zealand footwear brand Mi Piaci has much to celebrate, and a limited edition shoe is set to inspire your party wardrobe this summer, says style director Louise Hilsz. Meet the woman behind the designs.
Since opening the doors of their first store in Newmarket, Auckland, back in 2002, Mi Piaci has become the home of principled design and inspiring footwear; fast forward to 2008, and Mi Piaci had nine stores across New Zealand. Their ranges were initially bought from European footwear suppliers. They quickly found it difficult to depend on them for exclusivity, so in 2010 they began working directly with factories to gain control over this process. By 2015, they had formed their in-house design team dedicated to crafting the elevated and refined footwear designs you love today. Today the brand expands across New Zealand, Australia and online.
Mi Piaci Director and Head of Design, Louise Anselmi
To celebrate 20 years of Mi Piaci, a stalwart New Zealand brand, Hilsz sat down with their director and head of design, Louise Anselmi, to reflect on the brand’s evolution.
Take us back to 2002; how did it all begin?
The idea to launch a premium brand came from our customers, we had lots of enthusiasm for a more cutting-edge shoe, but like everything, the brand has evolved over 20 years.
What milestones are you most proud of?
I’m most proud of how we have developed a design and manufacturing capability. This has allowed us to experiment and make styles exclusive to Mi Piaci, which means we can develop a collection that is indeed focused on our Mi Piaci customer and what she wants in her footwear.
Where did the name Mi Piaci come from?
The name Mi Piaci is Italian and means “I like you,” we wanted something unique that reflects Shane Anselmi, our founder’s Italian heritage and infer a design element.
To mark the occasion they are introducing Memoir, a limited-edition shoe with only 20 pairs available. Embodying the signature glitter and glam of all things Mi Piaci, she’s simply iconic
Mi Piaci Memoir heels, $320, available online or at 277 Newmarket.
Time to bedazzle your favourite arm candy.