Massaro, Chanel and the Two-Tone Sandal

Indeed, it was from a meeting between Raymond Massaro and Gabrielle Chanel that a strong work relationship was forged, in turn yielding a veritable icon of the house on the rue Cambon. From this collaboration born in the late 50s comes the renowned two-tone Chanel sandal. Massaro pitched the idea to Mademoiselle Chanel, who he once said: “…was of an uncommon intelligence”, of fashioning a decomposed shoe, with a beige portion accompanied by a delicately squared toe made in black. This slenderly practical shoe, with a 6cm heel to boot, is like all of the creations from Massaro’s workshop: comfortable and chic. The fruit of this collaboration was made possible through Massaro’s incredible acuity during the creative process, not only in the fabrication stages, but also in the design, the forms, as well as the thought given to the clothing that would be paired with it, a boon for Chanel who was then at the height of her couture art. A common thread for these two artists who teamed up to bring excellence to their customers.

With Massaro, whether the shoe is made of dozens of luxurious hides presented in their workshop, whether shiny or matte, the refinement that springs forth from the hand of the master artisan ceaselessly perpetuates the legacy of French shoemaking. The two-tone sandal concocted for Chanel is no exception. Massaro, an exceptional shoemaker and master of the French arts, knew who to elicit desire from any lover of luxurious shoes. With his unique graphic style, he made the two-tone sandal a mainstay, worn by the greats like Marlene Dietrich or Catherine Deneuve with Romy Schneider in between. The two-tone sandal, cut in beige goat hide and accompanied by a black satin point that allows the leg to be elongated without straining the foot, remains a reference for the Massaro brand as well as for the entire era; the influence of the male wardrobe so dear to Chanel was added to the mix to offer the fashion world a veritable reference point in women’s shoes.

Even today, the two-tone shoe continues to be reinvented on the rue Cambon, even more so now that Massaro is one of the eight “art houses” to have been acquired by Chanel. What has set Massaro apart ever since its creation in 1974, just like what sets Chanel apart, resides in their artisanal savoir-faire but also in their family spirit. Beyond strong notions of artisanship and heritage, Massaro highlights the importance of relationships, from the taking of prints to the measuring of the foot to the creation of the prototype with fittings to follow, all in all thirty to fifty hours of work to finalize a pair. During these six weeks of patience and labor, the confidence established between the client and the artisan is primordial just as much for the gleeful petitioner of rareness as for the shoemaker that constantly reevaluates themselves to perfect their art. In this constant quest for excellence, with strong similarities to the activities of the Chanel brand, just as much so today as in the days of Gabrielle Chanel, the shoemaker listens to and provides for every whim of their clients, whether they be for individuals or haute couture collections. Rigor is the keyword in the industry, since according to Massaro for whom female clientele was a speciality: “The desire to please and the shoe are an extraordinary accessory of seduction for her.” It was an often visited concept back in the day; Gabrielle Chanel and Raymond Massaro alike knew that shoes, like any garment, were just details that create a look, a silhouette for the one who wears them. After all, didn’t Mademoiselle Chanel herself once say that “A woman with beautiful shoes is never ugly.”?