To the Andy Sachs of the world who scoff at the fashion industry for being gimmicky and impractical, the brand Golden Goose is particularly triggering. My suburban dad rolls his eyes every time he sees the star-embossed sneakers in public, grumbling about how absurd it is to spend $600 on pre-scuffed shoes that look like they’ve been used and abused for decades. It’s a valid point, especially if you’re not familiar with the purpose behind the designs and the ethos of the brand.
During a recent trip to Venice to celebrate the unveiling of Haus — a sprawling, 54,000-square-foot physical and digital space that captures the heart of Golden Goose and paves the way for its next chapter — I gained a newfound appreciation and understanding of the brand’s decision to create sneakers that look lived in. The intention is to let “creativity flow” and embrace the “warmth of the artisanal-hand imperfections,” which I quickly realized is the through-line in everything the luxury label puts its stamp on.
On April 19, Golden Goose kicked off the 60th annual Venice Biennale by inviting international artists, musicians, press, and friends to Marghera (the industrial port borough of Venice and the birthplace of Golden Goose) to get an immersive private tour of Haus, which embodies the brand’s core values of craft, culture, and art.
Built on the grounds of Golden Goose founder Alessandro Gallo’s original office, Haus is an ambitious, multifaceted concept that took six years to come to fruition. The building has everything from a sneaker-customization station and a functional production line showcasing the brand’s signature distressing method to an auditorium for performances, sensory experiences, and the Golden Goose archive.
The evening started with a performance by Italian sculptor Fabio Viale, whose installation was set up outside the building in a shallow pool. At dusk, he and his team set marble pillars ablaze, transforming them into burning wood to represent Venice’s past and present. Artist Maïa Régis showcased her silk-screen-printing technique during another live performance, highlighting the contrast with mass-produced works often made in industrial areas like Marghera. Meanwhile, in the auditorium, Bronx-born singer Mia Lailani performed her R&B singles in front of a colorful, hypnotic background. To end the night, guests were ushered into a large warehouse for a candlelit dinner featuring floor-to-ceiling pink drapery created by designer and digital artist Andrés Reisinger.
While it was certainly an impressive backdrop for a party, the real purpose of Haus is to give back to the community of Venice by supporting up-and-coming creatives and encouraging freedom of expression. The four artists who performed during the event are just the first of many who will soon walk through the doors of Haus to hone in on their craft. The space was opened to the public on April 20 and 21 as part of Haus Week, a two-day Golden Goose event featuring performances, workshops, and talks on art, culture, and sneakers, and it will continue to serve as a creative haven for local students, artisans, and Golden Goose employees.
“When you come to Haus, you see things happening,” Golden Goose CEO Silvio Campara said during the event. “For the artists coming, we pay for housing, food, flights, everything. Real talent needs support. Galleries purchase the pieces; we simply finance the makers and allow them to use this space as their factory.” In a world where artisanship is less prestigious and lucrative than it once was — and “made in Italy” is rapidly declining — Haus aims to platform local craftspeople and provide them with the space and resources necessary to excel.
“At Golden Goose, nobody wakes up in the morning thinking, What do I have to solve today? They wake up thinking, What kind of opportunities can I find today? This is the kind of culture I want to keep on nurturing,” Campara said. “In the end, business is all about acquisition and retention. If we can do acquisition through sentiment, we will have automatic retention. Everyone wants to belong to something they love.”
