In the mezzanine floor of his workshop on rue de la Paix, Raymond Massaro, with his childlike modesty, made me relive his wonderful encounters through shoe lasts bearing the names of: the Duchess of Windsor, Barbara Hutton, Marlène Dietrich, Romy Schneider, Mona Yaoub (whose exhibition "Parcours d'une collectionneuse" we organized in 1999). As good as friends with embroiderer François Lesage, I've often been able to share their creative moments with these two master craftsmen, honored on several occasions by the most prestigious French and international decorations. Proud of a lineage of craftsmanship handed down by his grandparents and then by his father Lazare, Raymond has never ceased to make the Massaro signature desirable and unique, and to pass on his secrets to young bootmakers. Luxury is priceless, because it's built to last: putting on Massaro shoes once in your life ensures that your walk has its first virtue: allure!
The Musée de la Mode de Marseille has staged numerous exhibitions showcasing the expertise of shoemaker Raymond Massaro. The art of the bootmaker is to know how to skilfully embrace shapes and bring to life the most beautiful signatures and fashion houses. Massaro won the trust of the Chanel fashion house, from Mademoiselle Channel to Karl Lagerfeld, John Galiano and Azzedine Alaïa, for whom he created the "hand-sculpted leg heel" in 1991.
By Maryline Bellieud-Vigouroux
