What defines allure in an era that has grown weary of the 1990s editorial gaze? For Annamaria Brivio, founder of Paris Texas, the answer is as direct as it is timeless: "Sexy is an attitude." Since founding the label in 2015, Brivio has built a house on the tension between Parisian sensuality and Texan swagger - a duality that mirrors the lingerie world's own history of balancing revelation with concealment, structure with freedom. Her signature sky-high Lidia heel and renegade Western boots have found their way onto Hollywood's most photographed feet, yet Brivio insists her starting point is personal: "It's about wearing something that makes you feel good about yourself."
This philosophy echoes the evolution of lingerie itself. In the 19th century, the corset bound the body to an ideal; by the 1920s, the brassiere liberated movement. Today, brands like Paris Texas - and, in our own sphere, heritage houses such as La Perla (founded 1954, redefining Italian lace as armor for the modern woman) or Agent Provocateur (born 1994, reclaiming the boudoir as a stage for confidence) - embody that same shift from external expectation to internal conviction. Brivio's creative process is fueled by the women around her, and she navigates a male-dominated footwear industry with the same ease she brings to her designs. "They assume I'm 'just' a designer," she says with a smile, crediting a lineage of women who "felt comfortable in their role without feeling the urge to prove anything."
In 2023, Brazilian conglomerate Arezzo & Co. invested €25 million for a 65 percent stake - the group's first international acquisition. Yet Brivio remains most devoted to her creative hat. She urges the next generation to "cultivate creativity," lamenting the loss of the singular visionaries of the 1970s who left a cultural legacy. "The creative director has to be creative - that's the rarity that should come back." In an industry where the body is a canvas and attitude is the thread, Brivio reminds us that true sexiness is not a silhouette but a state of being.
Originally reported by WWD