One To Watch: Gio Metodiev

Fashion changes quickly. Not just the trends—the people, too. So when my friend Gio Metodiev left his post at Dolce & Gabbana, where he’d worked in public relations, I wondered what his next step would be. (He’d already done time at Fendi and Chanel.) As it turns out, he jumped from the business side of the industry over to design. The Bulgarian-born, New York-based designer made a beeline for Italy, where he designed and oversaw the production of his first collection, called Gio Diev. Inspired by female warriors, from the ancient Amazons to Joan of Arc to Mata Hari, his new range is slick, sharp, and confident. It’s also impeccably made by northern Italian artisans in capretto, nappa leather, and patent. Guess he picked up a thing or two during those years in the fashion mines. I love the buckled over-the-knee boots and midnight blue velvet sandals from his debut collection.

(style.com)