Everything you need to know about: Repetto

Originally a dance shoe workshop, Repetto is now part of the French luxury world, thanks to its elegance and expertise. The brand is a benchmark in the world of dance but also in the production of city shoes. It has around 800 sales outlets worldwide.

Origins

In 1947, in a tiny workshop next to the Paris National Opera, Rose Repetto created her first dance shoes using the stich-and-return technique. Success came quickly and customers began to flock. In 1956, Brigitte Bardot walked through the door of the rue de la Paix workshop and ordered a pair of custom-made shoes: the legendary Cendrillon shoes made their appearance in the film “Et Dieu créa la femme” and became the brand's most iconic piece.

Evolution

The greatest stars of the dance world now buy their shoes and outfits at Repetto's boutique. Nureyev, Barychnikov and members of the Folies Bergères are among them. In the 1970s, Serge Gainsbourg fell in love with the Zizi model, originally created for Zizi Jeanmaire, Rose Repetto's daughter-in-law and a ballet dancer. In 1999, the brand was revived by Jean-Marc Gaucher. A series of collaborations followed throughout the 2000s with Issey Miyake, Yohji Yamamoto, Comme des Garçons and Karl Lagerfeld. 2010 marks the birth of the Repetto workshop, allowing customers to design their own pair of ballerinas, personalised in 252 colours and manufactured by hand. Leather goods and ready-to-wear soon followed. Inspired by the dancer's wardrobe, the style of the pieces offered is refined and fluid, embodying a femininity full of grace and delicacy. In 2015, Repetto became the official supplier of the Rome Opera.

News

The brand is committed to communities with its “Danse pour la” vie initiative, which supports the reintegration of children in distress through artistic expression. The “À vos pointes” project collected 500 pairs of used pointe shoes, which were then sorted and sent to the École nationale supérieure des arts décoratifs to be given a new artistic life.