Continental Airlines : Carla De Freitas Debuts Fall 2017 Line and Full Brand Relaunch

Via Spiga, the American footwear brand inspired by the main street of Milan's famous shopping district, is stepping into a new future with a full brand relaunch led by newly appointed Creative Director, Carla De Freitas. Under De Freitas' watchful eye, Via Spiga builds upon its legacy of superior craftsmanship by pushing boundaries with the latest design innovations and production techniques. The result is a modern collection of footwear with palpable brand energy, interesting texture and unique proportions.

De Freitas is the brand's first Creative Director solely devoted to every aspect of the line. She believes superior design is achieved by combining the highest standards of form, function and style. She also recognized Via Spiga's new journey would be best traveled with partners who understood its founding principles: the celebration of female empowerment through footwear that enables her to feel confident with who she is and what she wants. These guiding beliefs are what led De Freitas to move the majority of Via Spiga's manufacturing back to the original Italian factory used when the brand first launched in 1985.

De Freitas' approach to recommitting the brand to its Italian roots is evident in the fall 2017 collection's elevated aesthetic. Premium materials like soft Italian leather, touch-worthy suedes and rich calf hair are featured across silhouettes ranging from heeled boots to flats and pumps to tailored sneakers. The color palette marries classic neutrals like white and saddle browns to warm red and navy hues for a seasonal expression that is feminine yet strong, timeless but modern.

De Freitas' debut assortment offers luxurious and wearable shoes that will give multifaceted women the opportunity to perfect their looks for work or weekend - and everything in between.

'My design goal is to give women a collection that they can come to for all their needs. We want them to look and feel great. There is a concerted effort in everything that we do toward making each pair comfortable without compromising design and style. For me, this all begins with seeking out the finest materials and leveraging them in the most advanced design practices to date. This is indeed a new day for the brand,' shared De Freitas.

The fall 2017 collection, in the brand's video campaign, retails from $195 to $495 and is now available for purchase on Via Spiga's refreshed website, www.ViaSpiga.com, as well as select department stores and specialty boutiques.

ABOUT VIA SPIGA
Established in 1985, the brand is inspired by a main street in one of the most famed shopping districts in Milan. At the time, Milan was gaining prominence as a fashion capital in the global market, signifying a noticeable shift towards society and career in women's lives. Via Spiga set out to capture this moment in time by offering sophisticated, Italian-crafted footwear designs to a modern, on-the-go woman. Over thirty-five years later, these are still the driving principles today.

ABOUT CARLA DE FREITAS
Scottish-born and NY-based designer Carla De Freitas attended The Royal College of Art in London before launching her career at Top Shop in London. There she launched the first footwear collection for the brand as senior designer and manager for Footwear and Accessories. In 2010, she became footwear design director at Alexander Wang. De Freitas then collaborated with Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen to develop and present their premier collection of shoes for Elizabeth and James. In October 2011, De Freitas joined Caleres in New York to launch Vince footwear. After great commercial success, Caleres appointed De Freitas as creative director of Via Spiga. The fall, 2017 line for Via Spiga is her first collection for the brand.

ABOUT CALERES
Caleres is a diverse portfolio of global footwear brands. Our products are available virtually everywhere - in the over 1,200 retail stores we operate, in hundreds of major department and specialty stores, on our branded e-commerce sites, and on many additional third-party retail websites. Famous Footwear and Famous.com serve as our Family brands. Our Contemporary Fashion brands include Sam Edelman, Allen Edmonds, Franco Sarto, Vince, Via Spiga, George Brown Bilt, Diane von Furstenberg, Fergie Footwear and Carlos Santana. Naturalizer, Dr. Scholl's Shoes, LifeStride, Bzees and Rykä represent our Healthy Living brands. Combined, these brands help make Caleres a company with both a legacy and a mission. Our legacy is our more than 130-years of craftsmanship, our passion for fit and our business savvy, while our mission is to continue to inspire people to feel good…feet first. Visit caleres.com to learn more about us.

For more information, please contact:
Krupp Group
Dylan Fairchild | Account Manager
Dylan@KruppGroup.com