EXCLUSIVE: THE FIRST INTERVIEW WITH THE DUO FOUNDER OF LE VILLAGE

Not every day you get to know people that are humble, optimistic and with clear ideas in mind. Matteo Caparrini and Roberto Zampiero are so. They have right now combined their background to found a brand of sports shoes that only in surface can appear one among many: The Village. Matteo comes from a family that produces shoes for fashion brands, and is the creative as well as the manufacturer; Roberto tastes the market, aware of the trend thanks to a past as buyer. These two figures came together and founded The Village: sneakers made by hand in Italy.

Interview with Matteo Caparrini and Roberto Zampiero:

When and why did you decide to found The Village? What does that name means for you?

Matteo. It is born from my desire to create. I learned all the techniques of the case thanks to my family. I combined these two elements then experimenting on models “zero”. These have given me positive feedback, so I understood that creating a brand of shoes was feasible. Later I met Roberto and from there Le Village was born. The name is meant to symbolize all the people participating in this project. There is no room for individualism, each one offers one’s knowledge and experience.

Today the trend is all about sneakers worn at all hours of the day and on all occasions. What differentiates The Village from the others?

Roberto. A shoe like this, where every aspect is handmade in Italy by craftsmen from our own contry, at such a competitive price (starting from € 160.00, ed), it’s really hard to find out there. The customer who buys one is because he understands that it does not have in hand a product end in itself, but a handmade and very modern artifact. In our case, therefore, it is the detail that makes the difference.

How the creative process begins and where this ends?

Matteo. It never stops, even during production. This is because there is a continuous exchange of opinions with the artisans who make our sneakers. In general terms we develop creativity by external impulses, from travel and the experiences we have. For example, the model Upper came about because one day, coming into my sister’s room, I saw the stars that light up in the dark. Today, the sole of this shoe is luminescent in the dark, like those stars.

Where is placed The Village in the market?

Roberto. We do not want to sin of modesty, but we are a very young brand that still does not have a clear idea about it. Of course, generally speaking, with this highest quality shoes, we place them in the medium-high market. We are aiming at the concept store, but we do not ask, of course, no limit.

How do you articulate your roles in the project?

Roberto. I must say that we hear each other a lot. Matteo has the skills that I lack, and vice versa. He knows how to make shoes, I follow the trends and propose some details that maybe he excludes. Together we form a good team. We got along right away.

Future projects?

Matteo. Surely develop even more the product to further differentiate ourselves from the competitors. We are also trying to develop an effective method and technology that gives the opportunity to customize Le Village’s sneakers.

Roberto. We want that calm is our constant. There are no limits is true, but we do not want to do everything in a hurry. For example, we would like to open a flagship-store, but it is not a compelling. We’ll get there.

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