Elizabeth (Lizzie) Osterkamp, a young student from California and a fashion, travel and photography enthusiast, is fulfilling one of her dreams during her studies in Strategic Communication (University of Colorado, USA): to get to know – and be able to tell about – her experience in one of the world’s fashion cities, discovering her favourite fashion brands. Here she tells us about the world of Golden Goose, between fashion, modern traditions and personalization.
“Golden Goose is a newer brand compared to most of the luxury brands in Italy that have been around for more than 50 years. Golden Goose sneakers are modern but have a vintage look to them. This is from the handmade marks created on each shoe which references the two founders’ Italian roots and traditions. These unique handmade marks and being able to personalize a pair of sneakers or a piece of clothing is part of their brand manifesto. They believe uniqueness equals authenticity.
STROLLING THROUGH VIA MONTENAPOLEONE
The Golden Goose store on Via Verri 8 (Montenapoleone district) is a bright, jaw dropping store with everything displayed in a simple yet eye-catching way and worth the visit. The first thing that caught my eye when I walked into the store were the hundreds of pairs of shoes hanging from the ceiling. The shoes were all different styles and colors. The main floor has some shoes, clothes, handbags, jewelry, accessories, candles and perfume. At this location, they have an interactive screen which makes the store seem more innovative. The bottom floor has some clothes but is mainly shelves filled with shoes and décor including globes and travel briefcases. As you walk down the stairs to the bottom floor, look at all the different and bright Golden Goose stickers lining the wall.
THE FLAGSHIP STORE IN VIA CUSANI
A week later, I discovered that there was another Golden Goose store located on the corner of Via Cusani, and this store is considered a flagship location. This store has only one level of inventory compared to the other one on Via Montenapoleone. Most of the shoes are displayed on glass tables and separated into two tables: a men’s table and a women’s table. The décor at both locations is similar and include references to travel which is mentioned in their brand mission of creating shoes that help to show memories of the past. Clothes are displayed around the perimeter of the store, and there are two personalization stations at this location. Another interesting feature at their flagship store is their emphasis on being a “Forward Store”. They focus on sustainability and have a hydroponic garden on the second floor. This garden does not use any soil and uses special lights to grow the plants.”
IN THE NAME OF CUSTOMIZATION
At both locations in Milan, you are given the opportunity to customize any items within the store. First, you pick out the pair of shoes or article of clothing you want to personalize. Then, you speak with an employee, and they show you all the different options available. Customization options for shoes range from metal studs and charms to various laces and patches, and you are given the option of having hand-written words or phrases added to them. Customizing clothes ranges from adding stitching to adding additional fabric which are all outlined in a book. Being able to customize items allows you to have one-of-a-kind pieces from Italy.”
 Osterkamp, a young student from California and a fashion, travel and photography enthusiast, tells us about the world of Golden Goose.){kind=link}