After taking the marketing reins for Italian footwear brand Scarosso earlier this year, Mauro Messina is ready for what comes next.
“My vision for Scarosso is to strengthen the association between the brand’s quality and made in Italy identity,” Messina told FN in an interview earlier this month. “The path that we are on is very good. The mix of collaborations and the main collection remain strong, but we always want to push ourselves. So, the idea as a company is to continue to expand our market share and explore the Asian market.”
As for what that Asian expansion may look like, Messina explained that Scarosso is in the discovery phase of this extension. “Asia is a very large market with very different kinds of consumers in Japan versus South Korea versus China,” Messina said. “So, each market may require a different approach, but the idea is to expand our e-commerce site to the region and team up with a few retailers for wholesale opportunities.”
Wholesale is not a traditional avenue for Scarosso, but the marketing head noted that it will be great for visibility and brand recognition in the region. “It’s very difficult to enter markets where you are basically a newcomer, so we believe this approach will work,” he added.
As for what’s working now, Messina noted that the U.S. remains the brand’s “most important” market and is a “big driver” for Scarosso’s overall revenue. “Business has been growing consistently year-over-year the last few years, and this year has been solid,” the executive said. “We’re very happy with the with the growth we have, and that’s the reason why we can plan to expand to Asia, because we are reassured by the health of our business.”
Top performing styles include the Oxford dress shoes, sneakers and boots for men. For women, the company is seeing success in ballet flats and pumps. Messina noted that the company’s product mix is currently 60 percent men’s shoes and 40 percent women’s footwear, with the goal of making it an even split in the future.
“Scarosso originally started off offering only men’s shoes, but it’s important for all of us at the company that we are perceived as a total brand for everyone,” Messina added. “That’s why we are focused on growing women’s shoes to half the business.”
Collaborations are also helping change this perception. Messina called out Scarosso’s past tie-ups with Brian Atwood, Natalia Bonifacci, Marta Pozzan and Linda Rodin as popular collaborations for its female clients.
Looking ahead, Messina said that Scarosso is focused on the success of its fall/winter 2026 collection and future collaborations. “Right now, we are focusing on 2027, where we are planning new collaborations,” he added. “But holiday is fast approaching and is a prime time for selling our main collection.”
