Franµois Villon

French shoe brand launched in 1960 by Franµois Villon de Benveniste. Princess Grace of Monaco, Farah Diba, Maria Callas, Rita Hayworth, Chanel, Jackie Onassis, Marlene Dietrich, Liz Taylor, Audrey Hepburn, Lauren Bacall, Catherine Deneuve, Jane Fonda, Mia Farrow, and Faye Dunaway (the list could continue) were all literally seduced by him. After obtaining a law degree, F.V.d.B. initially worked in the family’s perfume business in Grasse. Called by Perugia, a famous name in shoe manufacturing, he became acquainted what a type of production that was clearly handmade and discovered a real inclination for this kind of accessory. In 1960, he started his own business at number 27 Faubourg Saint Honoré. His specific intent was to apply the principles of the custom made shoe to large scale production. His creations, all manufactured in Italy, distinguish themselves for their refinement of line, the quality of their materials, and the preciousness of details. Very soon, Villon’s shoes made their appearance on runways accompanying the collections of Hermès, Féraud, Chanel, Ted Lapidus, Patou, Nina Ricci, and Lanvin, and were soon distributed in boutiques all over the world. His boots for daytime, evening, and riding became famous, as did his urban cowboy boots, his flats, and his sabots.