The Story Of Success: Salvatore Capezio

One of the most well-known brands in the industry of dance clothing

, Capezio has been around for more than 100 years. The story of this brand is the story of the unprecedented success of an Italian immigrant in the United States. It is a classic American dream come true.

Salvatore Capezio, the founder of the Capezio brand, was born April 13, 1871 in a tiny southern Italian town of Muro Lucano which was at the time of his birth populated by less than 8,000 people. Due to the infamous poverty of the Italian south and lack of opportunities in the place of his birth, Capezio immigrated to the United States. His choice for the place of residence was New York as it was the most Italian American city at the time.

Having previously received training as a cobbler in Italy, the inventor of Capezio brand opened a cobbler's shop at the corner of Broadway and 39th street, just across the road from the old Metropolitan Opera House. The closeness of his shop to this famous building made repairing of theatrical shoes his primary specialisation and even the sign above his door read ''The Theatrical & Historical Shoemaker''.

The company legend says that Capezio has switched from shoe-repairing to shoe-making after he produced an emergency pair of shoes for the famous Polish tenor Jean de Reszke who was well-known for his elegance and distinct style at the time. These shoes were so great that the brand Capezio immediately gained recognition among opera performers which paved the way to its further success.

As a matter of fact even Capezio's personal life was closely connected with his occupation. In 1902 he married another Italian immigrant, Angelina Passone, a ballet dancer and a graduate of the eminent La Scala opera. The couple met when she came to his store to buy dance shoes.

In 1910 the reputation of the Capezio brand was boosted again by the fact that the famous Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova ordered shoes from them for the whole of her company during their first tour of the United States. This helped the brand maker of Capezio expand his business and start making shoes for famous Broadway shows, among which the most eminent was Ziegfeld Follies. The company also started producing jazz shoes and first dance body wear such as tap dancer's skirts.

Salvatore Capezio died in 1940, but the company he created still continues to exist. In 1949 the brand was spotted for the first time on the cover of the famous ''Vogue'' magazine. In 1952 the company has received a prominent Coty award, widely considered to be one of the highest in the world of fashion. During the years, world-class performers and actors such as Mick Jagger, Rob Marshall, Charo, Madonna, Will Ferrell, Nicole Kidman and Gwen Stefani have all used the Capezio brand apparel for their live shows.

The story of the Capezio brand is likely to serve as a good model for many people. It shows brilliantly that to gain success all one needs is hard work and good knowledge of his or her job. Going all the way up from a small shoe-repairing New York company to one of the biggest brands in the dance-clothing industry surely was not easy. However, consistency helped one of many Italian immigrants to establish one of the most eminent brands in the world of dance.

by: Cedric Grosjean

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