Brand Introduction

Piola Footwear is an innovative independent high-fashion label based in Paris, France. Endowed with a strong identity, Piola prides itself on the excellence of its organic raw materials and savoir faire. The result: a genuine project that delivers a timeless and high-quality product.

Manufactured in Portugal, with the highest quality italian leather, organic Peruvian cotton and rubber, Piola aims to maintain a transparent supply chain.

In partnership with a UN organization (USAID) and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Piola has set up a development project with 33 rubber and 55 organic cotton producers in Peru to create the perfect sneaker endowed with a soul – simple, clean, avant-garde and sustainable.

Piola capitalizes on high quality organic raw materials (wild rubber, organic Tanguïs cotton, ultra-premium leather and alpaca wool) to produce a timeless luxury product with unique color codes that contributes to regional, social and economic devel-opment in Peru.

In Peruvian Spanish, the expression “pasa piola” means “It’s awesome!” and “piola” literally translates to “elegant.” A time-less product, unique color codes and avant-garde, Piola’s line has allure and stylish characteristics. Going further in order to come back to the basics: Elegance.

Piola’s StoryPiola’s story has been built upon a random chain of events. Antoine Burnier was working as volunteers for one year in a non-governmental organazation (NGO) in Lima, Peru and fell in love with the country. One day, Antoine met a guy named Eduardo on a bus in the heart of the Amazon rainforest. Eduardo extracts raw latex from rubber trees and transforms it into rubber leaves.

Founders have always wanted to set up a highly creative and independent fashion label that could capitalize on the highest quality of raw materials and be part of a potential huge change in the way people could improve their way of life. Inspired by the beauty of Eduardo’s work, the founders asked themselves: why not use the rainforest’s natural resources to start a sustainable business for its people?

After a long journey of thinking about product, design, supply chain and partnering with a UN organization, Piola was born with the mission to build a development project in Peru that contributes to regional, social and economic development.

PartnershipsPiola partnered with a UN organization (USAID) and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) to create a responsible development project to buy rubber leaves directly from 33 producers, something that has never been achieved by any other fashion company.

With their development project, Piola is creating jobs in Peru by helping rubber producers set up their latex processing -

security.

At the same time, Piola established a similar project with 55 producers of organic cotton in the south of Peru. Piola is working together with Bergman/Rivera, one of the pioneers of the organic cotton movement in the world. Bergman/Rivera produces organic cotton under the White cotton brand in southern Peru, in cooperation with small farmers who own their land. Piola pays 5 times the market price to its wild rubber and 3 times the market price of the organic cotton producers in Peru.

Bergman Rivera

is a company which product organic Tanguis cotton in south Peru.

Ecomusa Composed by 33 rubber producersalso called “shiringueros”, located in Iberia, Madre de dios,the middle of the Amazon rainforest.

We are paying 5 times the market price of the rubber.

Armipex

is a Portuguese factory specialized in shoe assembly. They are using

a solar panels to supply 40% of its electricity. They reduced their pro

duction of CO2 by 55 tons. They are one the way to get the Green Seal

Mastrotto

is an Italian leather producer since 1958. Quality, safety concern for theenvironment and customer satisfaction are the objectves that Matrotto

has been pursuing every day for half a century.

Videos:http://www.youtube.com/user/PiolaFootwearCotton production : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ep45vqfXA6URubber production : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AE6GcXImXqAAntoine’s interview: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJ4rsttiJ2M

Customer comments left on our website: Michel RIVOIR: “very nice shoes”Adrien Moreau: “Very interesting project and your shoes are nice and confortable. keep going!”Nahuel Rozas: “great design”

StoresHomedict - Japan / FJ Benjamin - Singapore / L’Exeption - Paris / Citadium - Paris / Menlook - Paris / Truffelschwein - Berlin / Sleeping Dogs - Hamburg / Vau - Hamburg /Numero 2 - Bruxelles / Duke Shop - Madrid / Michard Ardillier - Bordeaux / Shoez Gallery - Lyon.

S/S 14Galeries Lafayette - Paris / Colette - Paris / HypeBeast.com - HK

Contact :

Flat J, 20/F, Block 1, Vigor Industrial Building, 49-53 Ta Cheun Ping Street, Kwai Chung, Hong Kong.Ph | 852-2710 8201 Fx | 852-2782 1855 E.Mail | Feedback@hardcoreshowroom.com