MILAN — Elisa Rossetti, better known as Lisetta, died on Friday. She was 85.
With her husband, Renzo Rossetti, whom she married in 1954, she helped develop the Fratelli Rossetti footwear brand into a global, high-end company. Renzo and his brother Renato founded the firm in 1953 in Parabiago, on the outskirts of Milan, and one of the top shoemaking hubs in Italy. Over the years, the offerings increased to include bags and leather apparel.
A dedicated professional, Lisetta Rossetti was instrumental in building relations with the press and the image of the family company, known for its carefully crafted pieces and, in particular, its tassel loafers.
The company crossed the ocean in 1979 to open a store on New York’s Madison Avenue.
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In 2008, Footwear News named Rossetti one of the top 50 icons for the introduction of the classic loafer.
In 2012, to celebrate the opening of two stores in China, in Hong Kong and Shanghai, the Fratelli Rossetti Historical Museum’s shoe collection traveled, for the first time, from the company’s headquarters in Parabiago to be shown at the new units.
Lisetta Rossetti is survived by her sons Diego, Dario and Luca, who currently helm the company. Her husband died in 2010.