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CHIC ATTIRE

by Graham Pilotte

Horse racing is known as the Sport of Kings. With a field of sleek horses and hopeful crowds clenching their bets, race day continues to redefine its role in society. Evolving in sophistication while balancing an understanding of consumer trends, the Thoroughbred industry’s distinct parallels to the world of fashion extend far past the finish line. What was once your grandfather’s sport, a day at the track can now be considered an opportunity to show off one’s personal style. And while some may think “track style” is synonymous with “Derby hat” - 2017 Breeders’ Cup fashion partner, Christina Lombardi dares your to walk a furlong in the shoes of the racing industry’s feminine audience. 

Chrissy (as she’s referred to) is the owner and designer of her namesake line which has seen quick success and growth since launching in 2016. Now just one year later, the young designer can add the title of official luxury footwear designer can add the title of official luxury footwear designer for Breeders’ Cup to her accolades. “Fashion has really become a see-and-be0seen aspect of Thoroughbred racing and being an official fashion partner of this year’s Breeders’ Cup is very special to me,” Lombardi says. Showcasing feminine lines and thoughtful details, Lombardi’s footwear has an approachable take on modern elegance. “My brand’s mission is to empower women to feel confident by providing them with accessible glamour.” 

The New Jersey native’s passion for design started at a young age when family outings included afternoons frequenting Monmouth Park Racetrack in Ocean Park, New Juersy. “Decades ago my grandfather owned horses, which led to my dad’s interest in the sport and it trickled down from there,” Lombardi recalls, admitting to getting swept up in the excitement and nostalgia of America’s pastime. “No matter how big or how small the race, whether we had a horse running or not, we’d all head to the track as a family and make our way to the rail to cheer as loud as we could.” Those experiences, combined with a natural design aesthetic, have equipped Lombardi with a unique insight needed for designing women’s footwear in an industry still overwhelmingly male-dominated. “I have firsthand experience of what works and what women are looking for so they can focus on having fun and express themselves in a pair of stilettos without compromising comfort,” Lombardi asserts. 

A quick scroll through her well-curated online showroom reveals thoughtful creations. Flattering lines, trendy textures, and up-to-date prints populate the website, paired with time-tested classics. From delicate sandals to studded flats, each design demonstrates careful work on an elegant product. “It’s really been fun to see my designs evolve over time,” Lombardi says. “Stylistically, I am taking more risks and introducing more custom and complicated components to my work - which, I hope, has helped broaden my clients’ interest. I think it’s very important, for every aspect of life, to be open to evolving as a person in whatever you do.” This can also be said for her approach to the business of fashion. Among other unique brand practices, Christina Lombardi footwear has adopted a post-luxury model approach to design by motion to release only a few styles every two or three months, which allows her to forego the strict seasonality that can sometimes limit designers int he world of retail. 

Theses types of risks are balanced by Lombardi’s artistic sensibilities and a strong sense of the business she’s running. Understanding that brick-and-mortar stores are a relic of fashion retail’s past, instead, she has embraced the work of e-commerce by directly selling to her customers. By doing so, she avoids box box stores and is able to offer buyers luxury products at accessible prices. The product materials are sourced from, and made int the same factories as many of the high-end, powerhouse brands people are familiar with, but much more affordable because of this method. “We want to encourage women to take risks and have fun with fashion, without breaking the bank - or breaking a poorly-made heel,” Lombardi says. 

For fashion enthusiasts seeking an affordable option for trendy footwear, effortless glamour and always-in-style comfort, Christina Lombardi might be the winning ticket. Most of all though, Lombardi urges confidence. “The best piece of advice that I can give anyone, is just do you,” she says. “Don’t feel like you need to wear something because that’s what’s on trend. There’s nothing worse than feeling self-conscious or uncomfortable at the track - or anywhere.” Instead, she says, choose an outfit that reflects your personal style. For her, that’s not always a dress: “My current go-to look for a day at the races is a pair of shorts or three-quarter pants, usually silk or patterned, with a simple tank top or crop top and matching blazer,” Lombardi describes. “Depending on the event or the venue where I’m going, I usually reach for my nude Angelina pumps. If I know I’m going to be walking around all day, like on are day, I’ll pull out the Sofias.” 

While Lombardi’s top selections for event-specific activities roll off her tongue with ease, asking her to pick an overall design favorite presents more of a challenge. “As a new designer, you really become attached to each design as if it’s your own child.” Lombardi says with a laugh. However, if she had to choose one from her recent line, she looks no further than the classic Aria sandal. “Currently, I live in them.” As her designs continue to evolve in style and trends, she is also cognizant of how footwear rotates with the every-fluctuating weather. “I’m looking forward to my Kenzie II flats and Alessandras in the cooler months,” she recalls. “We spent a lot of time shifting the lines of Alessandra so that the end result is the most flattering version possible. The studding accents and color combinations give an added flair of edginess to this updated silhouette.” 

Whether you’re headed to the track, traveling the country, or enjoying the comfort of your own home, there’s no better time than now to be fearless with fashion. Christina Lombardi footwear is a perfect place to start, since the brand seamlessly blends easy elegance and high-end style. “Now is the time to experiment with fashion and find what works for you, enjoy it. Take risks, do it up, and always wear a smile,” Lombardi says.

how this nj native created a line of affordably-priced luxury footwear that’s sold directly to consumers

by jessica jones-gorman photos by anne molnar photography

Christina Lombardi has always loved shoes—sparkly, spiky, round or pointed toes—and for years, amassed an impressive collection. But with each pair she envisioned more: a flirty cut-out here, a sexy ankle strap there.

So, after college and a few years in marketing and advertising, she decided she would launch her own shoe brand.

“I’ve always had a love for fashion and wanted to work in the industry,” Lombardi said. “So, with a lot of support and encouragement from my family and friends, I quit my job and enrolled in some courses at the Fashion Institute of Technology in Manhattan.”

A few years later, she moved to Milan to study at Arsutoria, a world-famous fashion school that specializes in the design of footwear and handbags. Later, back in the States, she began studying the business of starting a footwear label.

“After some trial and error, I found a great factory outside Florence, Italy, put a great team in place, and was fortunate to launch my first collection in 2016,” she explained.

Her company, Christina Lombardi, creates footwear that blends ultra-feminine elegance with classic but unique silhouettes.

“My first collection was the toughest because these were my babies,” Lombardi said. “But over the past two years, the process has gotten easier as each collection rolls out.”

Still, the process is comprehensive: Each shoe is handcrafted in Italy. From design to sketching, prototyping, and production, every style is examined, tried, refined, and retried to create designs that appeal to a wide range of women. Lombardi uses only top-of-the-line materials and components, many of which are produced exclusively for her.

“Every pair of shoes is a special work of art,” she said. “The process from sketch to production is extremely labor-intensive and rigorous, so when the factory is hard at work developing my previous collection, I begin work on my next line—researching trends and new technologies and pinning to an inspiration board colors, materials, and patterns that inspire me. Over the years, I’ve built a catalogue of swatches and materials, and I go to trade shows to see what’s new. Then I begin sketching. Flats, heels, sandals, boots—whatever I envision wanting to wear—it just spills out.”

For Lombardi, a New Jersey native who as a little girl would dress up as Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz in a costume complete with ruby-red slippers, the idea of this business is still something of a dream come true.

“Growing up, I had a mannequin and a simple sewing kit in my room that I would play with, making dresses and embellishing shoes—just for fun,” Lombardi said. “I was also inspired by my grandmother, who was always fashionable—she was a model in her day, and used to draw fashion ads for newspapers and magazines. She was an incredible artist, and I think a lot of my inspiration is drawn from her.”

Lombardi also comes from an entrepreneurial family. Her mother owns Sweet Expressions by Geri, a chocolate store, and Foodies, a cooking studio, in Denville, while her father owns SportsCare Physical Therapy, which has more than 70 centers in New Jersey, New York, and Florida. She says her parents were instrumental to her success.

“They always told me that there were no limits to what you can accomplish if you put your mind, heart, and soul into it, and to always reach for the stars,” she said. “Having that kind of support and love instilled in you is a very unique thing.”

Her designs, which range from flats to stilettos, are inspired mostly by her journeys.

“My travels and day-to-day life, as cliché as that sounds,” she noted. “I do find inspiration in patterns, architecture and art, color, and nature when I travel, but ultimately my collections are designed for everyday girl bosses—because we really do run the world. As a woman designing for women, it is important to me that my designs help them feel empowered while also being able to live their lives. I know and live the hustle of balancing a career, a home, a social life, and more, and I want to create shoes for ladies to wear through it all.”

She thinks the best feature of her shoes might be their comfort.

“We create a high-quality, luxury aesthetic with added comfort,”  Lombardi noted. “A lot of beautiful shoes are just not wearable for more than an hour or two. We strive to make ours feel as good as they look. We use the same factories and suppliers as the major fashion houses, but are able to bring our products to a broader spectrum of women. But we have also been told that our leathers and patterns are what our customers love. We custom-make a lot of our materials and components, and I think that gives a bit of uniqueness in an overpopulated market.”

Lombardi’s enterprise has also enjoyed success because of its direct-to-consumer business model. Styles are available online at christina-lombardi.com as well as on Amazon.

“Today, e-commerce is becoming the standard in retail,” she said. “By skipping the big-box stores, we are able to offer footwear directly to the consumer at a more attainable price. We’re still creating beautiful shoes with the same passion and craftsmanship; we’re just cutting costs by bringing our product straight to buyers,” adding that her business model also allows the company to over lines more quickly, avoiding strict seasonal release dates.

This summer, Lombardi’s best sellers were the Aria slide and anything featuring the company’s palm or maiolica prints.

“But as we transition into fall, the Kenzie II mules and anything in pony hair and velvet are really picking up,” she said. “The embellishment and craftsmanship on the studded Kenzie IIs is just incredible. They are handcrafted, and the attention to detail is off the charts. They are like little gems for your feet. Our nude patent leather Alessandra with studs is also a very solid seller throughout the seasons—it’s the perfect nude pump with a little something extra.”

Despite her success, Lombardi wants to do more than sell shoes. “My mission is to empower women and help them feel confident by providing them with accessible glamour,” she explained. “As a woman designing for women, I have firsthand experience in what works: what they want to wear, are comfortable wearing, and what it is like to run around all day in a pair of stilettos. Those experiences combined with my design aesthetic gives Christina Lombardi the ability to allow women to have fun and express themselves with fashion, while not having to compromise the comforts and certain aspects of their day-to-day lives.”

What’s next?

“I intend to continue to stick to, while expanding on, that message in the future,” she said. “I will always be hands-on in every aspect of the process, which I think is so important in such a fast-fashion, robotic world. I think handbags would be something fun to dabble in, but I’d be lying if I didn’t say I have been getting pressure from day one to do men’s shoes— thanks to my dad and husband—so we’ll see where life takes us in terms of that!

Christina Lombardi

(full article here)

CHRISTINA LOMBARDI 

With the launch of her new eponymous Italian shoe line, this New York City transplant has taken the District by storm. 

The best way to describe my approach to fashion is:  I need to be comfortable, look fabulous and throw on pieces that dont require a ton of effort. My style icon is…my grandmother - she attended the Fashion Instite of Technology and dew advertisements in newspapers for department stores She always had the most amazing costume jewelry and silk blouses. I recently found a picture of her from before I was born and she was wearing a tuxedo to a wedding she attended - with a red bow tie. I never leave the home without…my sunglasses. They really enhance a look, and I’m really into Prada’s styles this season. My favorite designers are… Dolce & Gabbana. They make the most beautiful pieces and send such a great message of love. When it comes to footwear, always…have fun! Shoes can make or break an outfit. And they can make or break  your confidence if they aren’t comfortable. As a woman designing for women, it’s very important for me to strike the balance of glamour, fun and comfort. Footwear should always empower women.

“One of my favorite items is a beautiful purse from Milan: it was the first gift my husband bought me. It comes from a wonderfully talented craftsman at a market along the Navigli River in Milan”