This collection is named after the street where Berluti had its first store.
Thirty years after Alessandro founded the Maison, his son Torello Berluti opened these modest premises in 1928, just a stone’s throw from the splendid Place Vendôme.
Mont-Thabor is rooted in the Démesure collection Olga so cherished, and its spirit is summed in the playful motto: “Life’s too short to wear shoes that have no soul”. Berluti has been crafting exceptional footwear for 130 years, and now its experimental approach goes a step further. The Maison is known for the sharply angled toes on its shoes, but here their proportions have evolved to take on a new form.
Berluti presents a toe shape that’s quite a bit wider. Mont-Thabor is directly descended from the historic Démesure, but with a toe box that’s twice as wide. This broadening of the front, combined with a reduction in the shoe’s height, gives a downward-sloping profile with a more dynamic feel. Staying true to Berluti’s history, this sleek, elegant design retains the Alessandro’s signature three pairs of lace holes.
Another feature that marks out this collection is the surprising similarity between its dress loafer and its ankle boot – as if the shoe was in fact a low-cut version of the boot. They’re alike not only in their aesthetics, but also in their rather “dressy” vibe, as well as the convenience of their design, with a side zip on the ankle boot and elasticated panels on the loafer.
As the French painter Soulages repeatedly demonstrated in his art, the colour black can reveal thousands of nuances. In this Mont-Thabor collection, black is augmented with an “Atlantide” blue on the Alessandro, a “Scarabée” green on the loafer, and a “fondant” brown on the boot. And for a final touch of refinement, each shade is echoed by an ombré effect on the sole.
The Rue Mont-Thabor store is where Berluti received its first great celebrities, with the glamorous likes of Rudolph Valentino and Greta Garbo ordering their shoes there. For Berluti, the name Mont-Thabor is laden with symbolism – and that power shines through in this footwear, which lays the foundations for a silhouette that’s remarkable in every way.
