Clergerie

Robert. Shoe designer. In 1978 he moved to Romans, the capital of luxury shoes, where the Shoe Museum is one of the most important attractions, and took over the Société Romanaise de la Chaussure, thus starting, at the age of 40, a second life. His family was not in the industry, and he had come from a very different business background when an advertisement by Charles Jourdan captured his attention. For six years Robert would direct the youth line of Xavier Darraud, and during that time he would come to know that he was destined for this career. Then came the one-way ticket from Paris to Romans. Success was immediate. His styles wisely mixed references to the past with non-conformist choices. He says, “It is necessary to create a particular line, finding a third dimension, but when an idea is particularly innovative, you must be able to express it in the simplest way as possible.” Starting in 1981 he opened boutiques in Paris, Lyon, Toulouse, Tokyo, New York, Brussels, London, Madrid, and Los Angeles. In 1987 he received an award as the best shoe designer in the U.S. But probably the acknowledgment that moved him the most was the handshake with Roger Vivier, who complimented as the only designer worthy of interest. In 1996, he sold the majority of his shares to a financial group, remaining responsible for the Collections and the economic strategy.