Modernising Italian heritage

The Gaabs is the creative director for the heritage Italian luxury brand Sutor Mantellassi. Since being brought into the collaboration, the Gaabs have overseen a relaunch and added a very contemporary touch to this traditionally manufactured product. The Gaabs combine the elegance and refinement of the Sutor Mantellassi historical aesthetic with the modern man and his individual sophistication and nuances.

A sleek visual identity that played with the colours and textures of the modernist avant garde aesthetic characterised this new direction. To create clean, cool, innovative imagery we utilised an evocative colour palette and classic typography paying homage to the films and posters of the iconic 1960s. From creating a new visual language to conducting a major redesign of the website, The Gaabs has added value and modernity to leverage the brand into the contemporary luxury market, while also staying true to the history and indelible legacy of the brand.

Editorial content that focussed on the bespoke, hands-on approach of the almost forgotten art of cobbling received prominence across the freshly designed website. In highlighting the details, The Gaabs showcased the materials, processes and love that goes into each shoe, bringing the consumer into the workshop.

This content strategy was devised to elevate the heritage brand back into the luxury market. In realigning Sutor Mantellassi to gain parlance with the new, aspirational, increasingly-informed luxury menswear consumer, we provided curation and editorial content emphasising the legacy and intimate craft involved at the heritage Italian shoemakers.