The early 1960s was a time of artistic and cultural revival in Italy, as demonstrated in fashion with the birth of modern Italian ready-to-wear clothing. It was during this time of change that Sergio Rossi and Gianni Versace first crossed paths. They were an ideal match: Versace had a profound respect for the link between clothes and a woman's body; Sergio Rossi had a similar appreciation for the link between body and shoe. This meeting set the stage for a future collaboration.

In the summer of 1966, Sergio Rossi began selling his shoes to shops in Bologna. The biggest hit out of this first collection was a sandal he called Opanca-a design that was both simple and daring, with a sole that gently curved around the foot, blending almost seamlessly with the upper part of the shoe.

Success was there, and gave the brand the means to achieve its ambitions. The numerous advertising campaigns gave a more precise image of women according to Sergio Rossi. This iconic woman fills up the whole space showing the full measure of seduction ; she takes power as much as she gives it. His philosophy was simple: to create nice shapes while others dream of creating nice feet. There lies the secret. To think of a shoe, not as a superimposed ornament, but as the continuation of the body, well-adjusted, comfortable, cosmetic, designed for the movement of a contemporary women.

The various images of the advertising campaigns of the 1990's were a tribute to Helmut Newton, with whom Sergio Rossi shared his very contemporary vision of women: an image of forcefulness, of control over the body and its power that points to a change of status. Like the artist, the brand also came to use low angle-shots to underline the verticality of the body, insisting on the importance of the heel — at least three inches high — which gives the leg its crucial energy and the female body its newstature.

Thirty years after the creation of the first shoes bearing his name, Sergio Rossi's success is obvious and measurable, enough to attract the attention of the greatest actors in the theatre o fashion. In 1999, Gucci Group finalized the acquisition of the Sergio Rossi brand. The openings of shops are then going to increase in a prestigious list: London, Tokyo, Paris, etc.