Stylish South Australian shoe boutique leaves footprints around the globe.

The rich, earthy aroma of Italian leather and strong espresso wafts through Cherri Bellini’s Kingswood store. You’d be forgiven for thinking you just stepped foot into a coffee bar tucked away on the fashion-forward streets of Florence.

It’s here, in central Italy, where Cherri Bellini owner Rosemarie Farrugia became fascinated by the delicate handcraft of leather shoemaking.

After launching her high-end footwear boutique in Adelaide in 2005, Rosemarie spent time in Italy learning from local craftspeople before sharing her love for leather with Adelaideans looking for their Cinderella fit.

Today, Cherri Bellini’s leather shoes are designed in Adelaide and handcrafted some 15,000 kilometres away among the vineyards and rolling hills of Tuscany.

Rosemarie has been working with the same Italian shoemakers for nearly 13 years, making them more ‘famiglia’ than colleagues.

“When I’m in Italy I go and see them to discuss new styles and colours. They’ll send me through the leather swatches and I’ll sit on the designs and think about different colour options and combinations,” she says.

After playing with the leather swatches like a jigsaw puzzle, Rosemarie carefully thinks about what works and what doesn’t before communicating her vision with her Italian producers.

From concept to creation, Cherri Bellini’s journey to produce 100 per cent leather shoes can take anywhere between eight weeks to three months before the Italian-made masterpieces are flown out of Italy and right into Adelaide.

From pairs of Pascucci soft suede leather smoking slippers to custom-made brogues, Cherri Bellini’s shoes travel to all corners of the globe. But it’s in little old Adelaide where Rosemarie’s love for leather is taking a huge step in the right direction.

Cherri Bellini
55 Belair Road, Kingswood
08 8232 2829
cherribellini.com
@cherribellini