The curious case of Via Venetto

MANILA, Philippines - Known for its high-end, handcrafted, locally made shoes for 30 years now, Via Venetto is thinking younger. The brand is pulling a Benjamin Button, and it’s a good thing.

Via Venetto, after all, has always been the first with the latest styles. “We come out with the trends almost simultaneously with the fashion capitals of the world,” shares Ging Pajaro, who developed the brand and is one of the most respected women entrepreneurs in the country. “When we first came out with metallic flats, I heard someone say you’d get struck by lightning if you wore them. Six months later, metallic flats were everywhere,” Ging shares with a laugh.

Now, with new creative director and designer Tsin Pajaro-Inocian to inject trends straight from the runways of the world’s most fashion-forward cities, customers can expect a fresh and younger Via Venetto. “We have been in the industry for so many years, our clients grow old with us. We thought it was time to cater to a broader market so more people can grow with Via Venetto. Of course, we want to keep our core market, but at the same time introduce trendier pieces and make the styles younger, for women ages 25 to 35,” explains the vivacious designer.

Tsin graduated with a degree in Industrial Design at UP Diliman, but she has been designing shoes and bags for many years. This year, she took on the role of creative director to infuse a younger aesthetic into Via Venetto’s items, but at the same time maintain the tradition of meticulousness and quality that the brand has always been known for. “People seem to have lost the value of leather. A lot of shoppers buy trendy shoes thinking it doesn’t matter how long they last or how uncomfortable they are, as long as I can wear what is uso now,” Tsin shares, “but synthetic shoes don’t fit as well as European leather and they don’t feel as good as leather. Our shoes are made with Italian leather and we are very keen on making each pair as comfortable, durable, and stylish as possible.”

She adds that her background in industrial design has come in handy in terms of making the shoes more functional. “Our shoes are pretty, but you can also walk for hours and hours in them without as much as a whimper or a blister,” she says.

With Via Venetto, every item in the store is a testament to world-class local craftsmanship. Every single piece is handmade in Marikina. “After Ondoy, we came out with an advertisement that said ‘Help Marikina Get Back On Its Feet,’” said Ging. But Ondoy merely added insult to injury — the industry was already badly hurt as the market became flooded with mass-manufactured shoes from China in recent years. “We are taking it upon ourselves to resuscitate the Marikina shoe industry. It’s a gargantuan task, but we want to erase the perception that anything imported is automatically better.” Ging adds with a laugh: “Via Venetto produces the best of Filipino craftsmanship. Our shoes have a one-year warranty — but one client of ours proved that they can last for up to 15 years!”

Though not for the budget-conscious, the durability and timelessness of Venettos make for a very small cost per wear, in turn making it a really wise fashion investment.

The brand’s youthful transformation is most evident in its flagship store at Glorietta 5. “We have fringe bags, floral bags with leather flower cutouts, structured plastic bags that are perfect for summer, tri-colored bags, and smaller canvas bags in a variety of colors,” Tsin shares.

For shoes, Via Venetto has classic mid-heel pumps for the working woman, ballerina flats that evoke laid-back chic, and comfortable platform shoes. They come in jewel tones, with Swarovski crystals, and lace-up, open-toe and French-toe styles.

Via Venetto has outlets at Greenbelt, Glorietta 5, SM Megamall, Alabang Town Center, and TriNoma Mall.