Italian designer Sergio Rossi dies due to coronavirus

Celebrated Italian shoe designer Sergio Rossi has died at the age of 84 from complications over novel coronavirus.

The shoemaker died on Thursday in Italy’s Cesena, a city in Emilia-Romagna, one of the regions hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic.

Riccardo Sciutto, CEO of the Sergio Rossi Group, shared the news of the designer’s demise on Instagram.

“Today everyone at Sergio Rossi joins me in remembering our dear Sergio, the inspiring founder of our dream. Sergio Rossi was a master, and it is my great honour to have met him and gotten to present him the archive earlier this year. His vision and approach will remain our guide in the growth of the brand and the business,” Sciutto said.

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"He loved women and was able to capture a woman’s femininity in a unique way, creating the perfect extension of a woman’s leg through his shoes. Our long and glorious history started from his incredible vision, and we’ll remember his creativity forever,” he added.

Rossi was born in 1935 and started making shoes at the age of 14. His designs were used by couturiers such as Azzedine Alaia, Versace, and Dolce & Gabbana in their collections.

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Celebrities such as Lupita Nyong’o, Rihanna, Paris Hilton, Eva Longoria, Cameron Diaz, Laura Dern and Ariana Grande have frequently worn Rossi’s creations.

His son, Gianvito Rossi, joined the shoe industry in 2006, and his designs have been picked by Demi Lovato and British royal Kate Middleton.

Italy has seen about 120,000 cases of the coronavirus, resulting in about 14,000 deaths.