Unveiling the Golden Goose Haus of Dreamers in Marghera, Italy, was especially meaningful for the Italian company, which was founded in the industrial port of Venice in 2000.
“We are providing a new home for the brand’s community of dreamers, uniting creatives of multiple disciplines and backgrounds,” said Silvio Campara, chief executive officer of the brand.
Passionate about the project, in his signature energetic way Campara on Friday evening walked guests, including Venice Mayor Luigi Brugnaro, through the Haus, which was inaugurated with a unique series of immersive experiences that were open to the public throughout the weekend.
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Husband-and-wife duo Alessandro Gallo and Francesca Rinaldo, who founded the brand, also participated in the event, which was timed to the beginning of the Venice Art Biennale.
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Golden Goose in 2020 was acquired by private equity fund Permira from the Carlyle Europe Buyout fund and is said to be eyeing an initial public offering in Milan. That topic, however, was off the table as the evening was about celebrating the Haus of Dreamers, an all-encompassing cultural concept that has helped heighten global brand awareness with events in Paris and Los Angeles, for example, and was first launched last May.
Brugnaro said it was fitting that Golden Goose was located in Marghera, “historically a place of invention, innovation and inclusivity that has greatly contributed to the modern development of Venice.”
Underscoring handcrafted and artisanal traditions are key. In Marghera, the building hosts an academy that trains artisans. “It is the heart of Haus,” said Campara, who calls the artisans “the dream makers.” Classes cover crafts ranging from shoemaking and tailoring to screen printing, but also DJing and public speaking.
The brand opened the doors to the Manovia, which translates as “conveyor belt,” and is dedicated to product innovation and repairing, extending the lifetime of Golden Goose items, but not only that. “Comfort and personalization is the generational trend now,” mused Campara, highlighting that the brand “sells confidence through self-expression” as it offers co-creation to its customers in its 191 stores in 62 countries.
An archive has been established in a part of the building where the company was founded and comprises around 50,000 shoes. It also includes a selection of ready-to-wear pieces that are not displayed chronologically but by style, “showing how the looks remain contemporary,” said Campara. “There is no future without a memory of the past.”
While Golden Goose is best known for its successful Superstar sneakers and intentionally distressed styles, Campara said apparel originally represented 60 percent of sales. The category now accounts for 10 percent of the total, but on revenues that last year rose 18 percent to 587 million euros, “it’s still a lot,” remarked Campara, who joined the company as commercial director in 2013 and has become a main shareholder.
Elsewhere in the Haus space, there is a library and an auditorium called Playground. A space dubbed Hangar showcased the work of Argentinian visual artist Andrés Reisinger; Italian sculptor Fabio Viale; French-Italian painter Maïa Régis, and Puerto Rican-American singer Mia Lailani. Campara was proud of the “scouting projects that help discover new talents. Execution is important, but sharing your dreams is also fundamental,” he added.
He explained that Haus is “a celebration of craftsmanship, culture and art” and that it will host a variety of immersive events, dedicated pop-up experiences, and innovative activations.