Norman Vilalta has been working hard on creating one of the most beautiful and unique collections around. His styles always have small ‘twists by Norman’, his coloring is always with a touch of patina but not ostentatious, and his combinations of soles to certain models are always intriguing. Norman’s shoes and style are most certainly uniquely his. I always enjoy seeing what he comes up with and Facebook is not shy of showing me that on a daily basis.
I have been impressed with some of his most recent models that have some unique similarities to them that one might not notice if not paying close attention. His swan neck feature is one of my favorites as I am big-time sucker for the swan neck design. I find it infinitely more elegant than the traditional cap toe and/or brogued oxford. And Norman must feel the same as his use of it is prevalent in his collection. It is interesting to see the similarities of taste and style that both Norman and I share.
Sometimes I wonder if that is our Latino blood, Norman being Argentinian and my mother from Mexico or the fact that we both trained at Stefano Bemer, and/or a combination of both. While the average person might not ever think about this, a brand owner might notice that certain cultures of people will gravitate towards certain models/designs. I have noticed that myself with some of my unique models and studying who predominantly buys them. Norman and I share a similar style of upbringing so cannot help but wonder what gravitates us toward these similar ideas although our collections will not appear to be similar.
Nonetheless, as long as Norman continues to push the envelope, with unique and beautiful models, I will continue to be impressed by his style of design. And these latest ones are beautiful, to say the least. While I highlighted the adelaide brogue, my favorite is of course the swan neck oxford. And that derby boot (the one above)!
Norman is a great guy so do not hesitate to support passionate artisans such as himself, especially in these trying times.
https://shop.normanvilalta.com/