Bernardo Dorfman loves women's shoes, probably more than his wife, Leila, she says.
Together, they are pursuing Bernardo's passion, one they think will be quite profitable.
The Wausau couple, who emigrated from Brazil five years ago, recently opened a high-fashion shoe e-store at http://www.viashoes.com.
The brands available on the site are not yet familiar to most American consumers. But the Dorfmans believe once women (and men) see the shoes, it won't take long before fashionistas from coast to coast are happily click-clacking down the street in a pair of shoes from Alberto Gatti or Giorgio Iachini.
"I am a fashionable guy. I love high heels," said Bernardo, who expects to sell 150,000 pairs of shoes in the Web site's first year and twice as many in its second. "These shoes are jewelry for your feet."
The designer shoes available on the Web site are from Europe and Brazil. When he lived in Brazil, Dorfman worked in the import/export business. The past few years, Dorfman has put his Spanish and Portuguese lingual skills to work as a car salesman at a few dealerships in the Wausau area. At the same time, he was trying to get his English up to speed.
With a fluency in three languages and familiarity in three business cultures, Bernardo believes he can help the shoe designers with whom he works to bridge a gap they couldn't on their own.
The designers are from countries such as Italy, Spain and Brazil, but all are influenced by Italian designs and want to move into the American market. Italian designers are the preeminent influence in women's shoes, and names such as Manolo Blahnik can get women to shell out thousands of dollars for just one pair of high heels.
It's no surprise to Dorfman, who sees the shoes as both items of clothing and works of art.
"Today in American market, Manolo Blahnik, he is the king in the fashion market," said Dorfman, though he believe the shoes he sells, particularly those from Alberto Gatti, compare favorably to the shoe king.
The Dorfmans signed exclusive domestic distribution deals with many of their designers, with hopes of expanding from their Web site into high-end boutique stores.
Because the current fashions in Europe influence future fashions in the United States, Dorfman spends time in Spain and Italy each season, handpicking the styles and quantities of the shoes he thinks will be popular in the United States in the coming year.
And because the Dorfmans realize these shoes appeal to a select audience, they have designed and will run the Web site like a boutique store. Even the packaging is high-end, intended to better protect the high-end shoes during shipping.
http://www.wausaudailyherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060924/WDH03/609240508&located=FLASH
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