By Tawny Sanders

Fantasy and Splendor! Two key concepts that the much celebrated Italian shoe designer, Giuseppe Zanotti, strives to capture in all his designs.

A creative artist since early childhood, Zanotti's love affair with shoes (and women) began with a drawing of his mother's stiletto heels. Sketching has always been inherently vital to Zanotti, not only as a way to bring life to his inspirations, but as a balm that effectively soothes his perpetually active mind. Music plays another major role in his creative process, in fact he was a successful deejay before entering the world of design, and music features are omnipresent in his studio.

Beginning in the mid 1980's as a freelance designer for prominent fashion houses, Zanotti capitalized on his experience and success by opening his first factory in San Mauro Pascoli, Italy. More than 25 years later, he employs 450 craftsmen and produces 350,000 pairs of shoes per year with boutiques from the US to Russia, Bahrain to Singapore. His bejeweled footwear brand is synonymous with luxury and prestige and coveted by an illustrious client list, that boasts the likes of Demi Moore, Eva Mendes, Rhianna and undisputed shoe lover extraordinaire, Sarah Jessica Parker. Beyonce, Kim Kardashian and Anja Rubik all turned to the Italian designer for their bridal creations and a swathe of international celebrities chose Zanotti to grace the red carpet on Cannes' famous Croisette earlier this year.

I was fortunate to catch up with Giuseppe on his recent visit to Beverly Hills where he exclusively premiered his 2012 Resort collection at Saks Fifth Avenue. He said, "I like to imagine my shoes as part of a women's body, shoes are just an extension of the legs". Zanotti took great pride explaining how each pair of his shoes are entirely handmade in Italy and demonstrated how he creates a perfect fit by focusing on the last and architectural structure of each design. As he told his tale of architecture, fine leather and sparkling crystals he sketched flowers, landscapes, balloons, and even exotic cocktails which became his inspiration for his latest collections. As a result, the resort and spring/summer 2012 collections feature an explosive array of extreme contrasts in volume and shape. The Zanotti woman will be treated to surreal platforms, ultra-slim cigarette heels, color block wedges and crystal mosaic sandals. Every pair, is an exquisite piece of art. Of course, I couldn't resist the temptation to try on some of his sparkling seductions and easily surrendered my credit card for a pair of candy colored platforms. What's a girl to do in that position? I've worn Zanotti shoes for years, but when the man himself slipped one of his creations on my foot I did what any star struck fan would do. I asked him for his autograph on the bottom of my new shoe.