For those keeping up with what’s on the feet of fashion insiders, Paris Texas is likely already on your radar as the label behind the brown, mock-croc, knee-high boots all over Instagram—the ones worn by Emily Ratajkowski, Eva Chen, and Chiara Ferragni. “The natural faux snakeskin knee-high and over-the-knee boots, as well as the mock-croc boots, have become really popular after some great celebrities wore them,” confirms Margherita of their recent success. “They also embody Paris Texas as a brand.”
Unlike the name suggests, the sisters behind Paris Texas’s attention-grabbing designs are neither from The Lone Star State nor the City of Lights. They’re of Italian descent, and what’s more, part of a family of statement shoe fans. “My grandmother was very stylish and loved shoes. I remember the pumps that she would always wear clearly—she loved color,” Annamaria says of the inspiration for the line, which debuted first as a capsule collection in 2012 before launching in 2015.
“It was only natural that we would end up in the industry,” adds Margherita. “Anna started the brand whilst I was at university, and after graduating and having spent time in London working with Self-Portrait, I joined the company.”
While it’s the aforementioned boots that have made the biggest impact across social media over the past year, these styles are just part of what makes Paris Texas stand out among endless shopping options. The current collection alone is a compilation of bright metallic leathers, oversized buckles with bling, and a wide range of chunkier heel styles that suggest the women who’s wearing them doesn’t have time to balance on something quite so spindly. Instead, like the Brivio sisters suggest, they can simply be thrown on with jeans and a sweater.
As for the name, the designers say Paris is responsible for inspiring the brand’s sophistication, while Texas is responsible for its edge. “Paris Texas is based on the concept of contrasts,” Margherita says. “We represent them through simple and sophisticated shapes in standout colors and fun fabrics.”
As expected, the sibling’s own background is evident in the line, too. “Our Italian heritage has made us quality-obsessed,” says Anna of the made-in-Italy, and predominantly under-$500, collection. “This means that we approach our design with this element at the forefront.”
Though it seems Paris Texas’ recently popularity is perfectly timed to the cowboy boot trend, the designers explain that the impetus for their creations has much more to do with their personal taste than with fashion’s current craze. With this in mind, they say we can expect to see even more bold color choices in future collection debuts, as well as lots of contrast and prints in the brand’s signature playful-meets-polished styles. “Day-to-night and work-to-leisure doesn’t require multiple shoes,” Margherita says of the outfit-making footwear, “just the right ones.”
