Meet the Italian Creative Director Behind Handcrafted Footwear Brand, M. Gemi
Recognized largely for its craftsmanship and artistry, Italian design is at the hem of luxury footwear and Mirco Scoccia is expanding on it as the Creative Director of M. Gemi.
Words, Delanique Millwood
Photography, Marcus Richardson
Mirco Scoccia is a footwear designer from Fermo, Italy who has been in the business for over twenty years. Inspired by his father who owned a shoe factory, he attended footwear school for two years to learn how to be a technician, and pattern maker - building the overall product from sketch to finish.
His craftsmanship extends across many global brands within Italy. Working with luxury brands like Bottega Veneta on their men’s collection and runway shows with Tomas Maier is one of the many highlights of his career. Like many designers, the U.S market was always top of mind for Mirco, so relocating to the big city to continue to develop shoes deep rooted in Italian craftsmanship was a natural fit.
In moving to New York City, he continued his line of work at brands like Cole Haan, and Tory Burch, and now he’s the Creative Director at M.Gemi, an Italian Leather Shoe Brand. For Mirco, leading design at M.Gemi came at an interesting time when the brand was looking to revamp their signature styles to undergo a style evolution - one that was artistic, rich, and sophisticated.
Scoccia invited us to his design studio to talk about his role at M.Gemi, the spring/summer 19 collection, and his design philosophy. From the moment we walked into the studio, we were instantly impressed by the variety of design we saw. We got down to business and got to hear all about Scoccia’s inspiring influence.
M.Gemi’s overarching spring 2019 seasonal inspiration stems from Italian art and architecture, specifically the work of artist Bruno Munari, a sculptor and painter who is famous for color blocking and layering. Another inspirational figure was Italian photographer, Ferdinando Scianna who documented the way of Italian life in evocative black and white photos that artfully captured texture, light/shadow and shapes, including iconic Italian architectural details.
On What Inspired his Career:
“When I was younger, my father owned a shoe factory and that I would play in all the time. I spent a lot of time with my father in that environment. I then attended a footwear school in my home town, Fermo for two years to learn more about the business and become well-rounded in my skill. My big moment happened at the end of the course - there was a competition where each student had to sketch and produce their own collection to present, and I won. I still remember the feeling, and at that point I knew it was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.”
On His Design Philosophy:
“ I think it’s important to respect the history of the brand I am working with. From there, the story and inspiration is the key to build a great collection. Adding my taste and point of view is core to my philosophy but the heritage of the brand drives that inspiration, so both complement each other. Adapting to a brand’s design philosophy is essential, but that brand has to also adapt to my design philosophy since they want to work with me. It’s vice versa.”
From Left to Right: The Dritto Hand-Dyed Chelsea Boots, The Sprezzatura Vibram Sole Sneaker, and The Timpani Suede Tassel Loafer
On Joining The M.Gemi Team
“Me coming in at M.Gemi allowed an opportunity for us to share our respective knowledge and expand our reach in the United States while maintaining product quality in Italy.”
On The M.Gemi Man
“The M.Gemi man is versatile in his style. He’s not restricted to one category of style, he’s defiant in his way of dressing. He can wear a Chelsea boot and a sneaker, but the most important takeaway for him is that when he’s wearing either styles, they both feel extremely comfortable. One pair of shoe shouldn’t feel completely different from the other. He’s modern, appreciates comfort, and always has a pair of leather shoes in his collection.”