words by Carol King Italian shoe boutique La Maison de Mavie is renting out designer shoes so that Italian women can continue to look fashionable despite hard times. The idea of the bella figura and looking good is part of Italian culture but strutting one’s stuff has become harder during what is the longest recession in Italy since World War II. The Italian media reports that La Maison de Mavie shoe shop in the chic seaside town of Alassio in Savona on the northwest coast has come up with a solution: it is renting out shoes for a day or an evening. La Maison de Mavie sells women’s footwear under the slogan: “Others sell shoes, we sell works of art.” The store sells cutting-edge shoe designs by brand names such as Taylor Says, Alexander Smith, and Amaranti. The shoes on sale cost hundreds of euros, while renting a pair for a special occasion costs 5% of the cost of the shoes, meaning clients can look stylish for as little as €10 to €20. The shoe lines available for rental are by Hades, Taylor Says, United Nude and Julian Hakes. The initiative has already attracted customers including Italian model and TV presenter Carolina Bado. But the service is not only available to VIPs; any female shoe lovers can rent out the latest, highest and smartest shoes from the store, guaranteeing that despite financial hard times, Italian Cinderellas can still look good at a ball.
