Does Franco Sarto actually exist?
Yes, Franco Sarto was born in Dolo, a small town just twenty kilometers from Venice, in April 1949. As a teenager he started to work part time in a shoe factory as many Italians did in that region. He learned the business from the ground up, sitting on a stool and hand-lasting shoes with a hammer and nails. In his early twenties he moved to the town of Stra, just ten kilometers away. This small town is the center of Shoe Design for all of Italy. He formed a partnership with another designer and set up a studio called Sarto and Candian. The two designers made models in their studio and sold the prototypes to visiting retailers and wholesalers from around the world. They also exhibited in the major European shows, and went from time to time to factories in Germany and Italy to design collections for various companies. In his early thirties, Franco got his first break into the American market with one of the first importers on Italian Shoes. Jesse Wachtel, who was working for CARESSA, INC
