This document discusses thigh-high lace-up boots that were featured prominently in Etro's Fall/Winter 2008-2009 fashion collection. It provides background on Etro as a brand and describes the boots' design elements, including their colors, materials, lace-up detail, platform heel, and ability to adapt to the body. The boots became very popular and were considered a "must-have" item, helping to drive trends towards over-the-knee high boots in high fashion and on city streets.

1. “THE MUST – HAVE”
FALL/WINTER 0809
ISTITUTO MARANGONI
Ana Fernández-Trejo Sánchez
Master Fashion Promotion

2. Along the fashion history, the shoe has been one of the key components. Beyond
other garments, such as: handbags, jackets, socks, scarves, gloves,...The shoe is
commonly used, an essential, necessary good. Fashion is the responsible to convert
this good in a luxury garment, able to be trendy.
A clear example of that, is the star garment that Etro chose for the last Fall/Winter 08
09 collection: “ Romantic Wilderness”
Why Etro?
"Etro" is synonymous of style. It is a lifestyle based on quality and sophistication, not
only in terms of design, but also regarding materials and production techniques.
This universe of elegance derives from Gimmo
Etro's innate passion for travel, culture, beauty
and history, which has now become the motive
of all the lines of the “fashion maison”.
This brand comes from Italy, birthplace of the
most important fashion brands, usually small
firms that had grown up and developed
(Fig. 1)
throughout some generations, as in this case. Etro, that was born as a small firm
specialized in superb fabrics made of fine original fibers, decorated with elegant
designs, in chic colors, and currently, is a big company directed still by the founder

3. family: Gerolamo, Jacopo, Kean, Ippolito and Veronica Etro. All the members of the
family join their skills to follow and develop the success of the brand (Fig. 1).
The main symbol of identity of the brand is the “Paisley motive”, which appeared in
the Etro collections back in 80s. It will remain as the masterpiece of the production
forever. The fashion fabrics line was soon joined by the men’s and women’s
accessory collections, that always expressed ideas through fine materials and original
decorations.
The next step was a new leather goods line
, along with a new objective: the home
accessories line, dressed homes with
incomparable style.
(Fig. 2)
In 90s , Etro debuted in the prêt-à-porter fashion world. Style and colours focused on
men’s and women’s collections, revealing extraordinary fashion designs combined
with an original, creative choice in fabrics and tailoring solutions.
Why this Etro’s thigh-high laced up boots ?
As I told before, shoes are necessary garment, everybody wear shoes, and, personally,
this garment is something able to correspond directly with own style, personality and
why not, “identity” of the individual who is wearing it. For this reason I am interested
and passionate about shoes.

4. These boots were a part of every outfit in the “Romantic Wilderness” (Fig. 3) Etro’s
collection, which apparently referred to snowy woodland set at a enchanted runway.
A surreal place where Etro’s
potentially lovely paisleys and
printed dresses became perfectly
wrapped with fetishistic lace-up
platform thigh boots (Fig. 2) and
were inexplicably topped off with
velvet air-stewardess hats. Fig. 3
Romantic Wilderness
Limpid snow
Path of silence
and beauty.
Snow music
Winter cricket
Beneath my feet…
(From “Snow” by Maxence Fermine)
No doubt, the garment which attracted all the glances, was the boots. This exceptional
prop, was chosen by Etro to show the universe of sophistication and elegance that the

5. brand owns. This boots has been seen in other designer catwalks, such as Gucci, La
Perla, Fendi, Anna Sui or Givenchy (Fig. 4).
Fig. 4
But the favorite boots of the majority of public and fashion influencers remain Etro
boots. The reasons of that was its colours, combined with the outfit, leather quality
and the way it wrapped the leg and made them look infinite.
Veronica Etro, the only woman of the family team,
designed these boots inspired by “Narnia world”, as it
can be seen in cold colours (grey, ice, white) able to
transmit purifying, neutrality, mystery, but
simultaneously, sensuality, desire, sophistication, coral
and pastel pink colour, letting to discover a clear
Fig. 5

6. Victorian influence. The lace-up detail able to cross all the leg, from de ankle to upon
the knee by a subtle way, remind the sensual corsets and laced boots used by Marie-
Antoinette 18th century. Certainly, the brand shows so its particular colour palette
(figure 6, 7, 8, 9).
The construction of the boot is composed by 3 parts, as we can see clearly in figure 3,:
heel, platform and boot frame. The excessively high-heel help to give a streamlined
shape to legs, leather covered in the same
colour of the boot in leather material too, that
is crossed by a long lace, respecting the colour
(Fig. 6, 7, 8, 9). The particular design of the
platform, letting less surface at down side,
styling and doing it longer to respect visual
impact by this way, forcing ,woman who is
wearing it, to pay more attention to her
footsteps, resulting a sensual way to walk.
Fig. 6
Just looking the garment, it’s impossible confirm that it’s comfortable, probably
because heels, are very high, or the strech and narrowness of the boot. But the
material, bright elastic leather, does that it adapts to the body, not the body has to
adapt to the garment, a little zip above the ankle (Fig. 6) help to create this elastic
effect, almost seems plastic.
Through this garment, we can see how Etro gets that boots look impossible to wear,

7. can become comfortable and affordable, although its style is oriented to a bold
woman, who doesn’t matter attracts all eyes.
Fig. 7
Fig. 8 Fig. 9
People got crazy for high over-the-knee boots style, was the “Must Have” garment at
more popular catwalk, above and below the runway, and even at streets. Media talked
about the 80’s revival, soft ghotic, Folf,…trends which in each one we can find a
sample of this high-thigh boots.