"We are making a transition from the more classic to modern, and as a company, the accent had to be on every part, from women's, men's, accessories, our advertising campaign, the new store design--it is all a reflection of the design of the shoes," explained Peter Grueterich, Bruno Magli president. He recently visited the Bal Harbour Shops for a cocktail party, celebrating the store's re-opening in South Florida.

Totally re-done in monochromatic natural tones, the store features blond ash chairs, upholstered in matching leather, with floors and counters in Italian limestone. The simple brushed stainless store front, frames floor to ceiling glass panes, while indirect lighting draws attention through the store, to the back wall. There, a new display of men's linen and suede jackets adds a soft pastel accent to the creme colored walls. "The whole store becomes a window!" beamed Grueterich, "Though we are in the same space, it feels so much larger!

Two glossy posters of hot new ads, featuring Jennifer Ollson in Bruno Magli shoes--and little else--artistically shot by Ellen Von Unwerth, bring a touch of color accent to the solid beige walls. Even the large Bruno Magli logo behind the counter is tone-on-tone, redirecting interest to the surrounding merchandise. Back-lit, beige graffato-finished shelves become a creamy palette for the contrasting deep-hued and bright shoes. "The art is the shoe--the art is the product," Grueterich stated emphatically. Tall mirrors reflect across the store, where men's dark black and brown shoes are complemented by new suedes in shades of sand, herbal green, pale blue and yellow. "We were tired of the grays and browns, he adds."

"Bruno Magli has always offered great quality and great styling. Since the 40's we were true to fashion and we didn't want to lose that; in the millennium, we are in time with fashion," Grueterich explained, "We are also concerned with practicality," he noted, showing the 100% waterproof and breathable Melba, a $315 leather and Gortex lined lace up boot. "We can't keep that boot, in suede or leather, in stock--and we have been working with Gortex for 35 years." He also points out other painstaking design details, like the toes and heels of women's shoes that correspond in shape, the positive and negative layering of leathers on the toe of the men's ankle boot, or the intricately woven leather of the Sanders, a distinctive, but casual lace up. "Even a slipper can be modern," Grueterich smiled as he showed the Corbin, a take-off on the popular Carter, a men's leather slide. Covering a wide variety of styles from conservative dress shoes to easy-going sandals, prices range from $170-445.

"Now, we have all types of slides, sandals, shaped heels, fabrications and more mixes of colors, which years ago was forbidden. Now we honor fashion forward trends and have a total awareness of women, in our ready-to-wear and accessories," Grueterich remarked as he gestured around the store, showing bags and shoes of multiple shades and styles, from briefcases to back packs, to waist and shoulder bags. The color trend extends to men as well, as evidenced by the pastel casual shoe shades, that match the new suede and linen outerwear line. The men's jackets range from loosely cut, button front jackets, to a sport style that becomes a casual car coat by unzipping the hood and loosening the draw string waist. All the suedes are machine washable, while the linens provide a dressier touch to the leisure wear line.

"We are changing from a more conservative to a more timely fashion," stated Toney Karantonis, Jr., manager of the Bal Harbour store, "Femininity is back--shoes are not as chunky as they have been for the past years. We're not going to the pointed toe, but to a tapered toe. The open-toed slings have always been our mainstay, but now we have a new shaped heel, a more architectural, sculpted heel. The 60 and 80 mm heels have been popular and for Fall, we will add a 40 mm." Regarding the South Florida market and customer, Karantonis notes, "Older women want to look younger--our customer is very up on fashion."

On hand to celebrate the renovation was Bruno Magli's granddaughter, Monica Magli, showing her second signature line of Magli by Monica . After studying law in Bologna and Paris and spending a year working in New York, Monica Magli was unsure of her professional plans. But now, at 30, she glows with the satisfaction of choosing the family business and being surrounded by her creations. "It is beautiful on one side, but a very difficult responsibility on another," she commented about coming from a 65-year family tradition of shoe design, "I am grateful for the opportunity my parents gave me," she said almost shyly, with a thick, melodic Italian accent, "I love accessories--I love shoes! I have thousands of shoes!"

Magli by Monica brings a youthful flare, combining electric colors with shiny, black lacquer heels in a variety of heights, for casual or evening wear. From a bright blue zebra, wedge-heeled slide, to a Swarovsky crystal beaded stiletto ankle strap, the shoes show a fresh approach to accessorizing. Bright lime and melon pearlized leather sandals are strappy and sexy, but Magli's favorite is the black and hot pink $375 hand-beaded Cassandra. "You can wear black, but with accessories in color, it gives you character," she explained, "You can pull the color from a skirt or T-shirt--it's an easy way to dress for fun."

Colors carry over into velvet, suede and animal prints, and to geometric heels. Moon clogs and flat mules, incorporate enameled wooden bottoms, while python-printed, gold-flecked leathers have wood and metal heels. Some have matching 50 mm clear or color-coordinated, Lucite elliptical heels. Even the sport group mixes forest green, orange and magenta nylon mesh, with suede and fabric, on a thick rubber treaded sole. A daisy and denim mule with a matching little bag lends a femmy and casual note to the sport line, but sandals predominate the collection. "I love sandals!" Magli exclaimed, "In Italy, it is not so warm, but here you can wear these all the time! When I design, I think of what I like, what I would like to wear. When I go somewhere and see someone I don't know in my shoes, it's a great feeling to know they like what I like!"

Monica Magli finds inspiration for her designs in the international travel she enjoys, noting the ethnic-style intricate beading, and Asian influence of some of the wooden-soled slides. But her real passion is riding and showing horses. "I spend a lot of time at the stables--jumping is the best sensation!" she said, as her eyes lit up, "That is my second life--but this, this is my life!" she beamed, waving her arm across the room. Magli tends to each detail of her line, from the company's offices in Bologna, Italy, including the design of the shelf displays, a simple white cylinder with the Magli by Monica logo stacked vertically in black. "I do it all myself," she states, "I like things very clean." Prices range from a $210 flat slide, to a $375 beaded sandal.

The Bal Harbour store reports an excellent reception to the cutting-edge Magli line and plans to expand it for Fall. Bal Harbour is the first Bruno Magli store in the U.S. to be renovated, using the new design debuted in Milan last year. Costa Mesa, California, a newly built store followed Miami, with New York and Short Hills, New Jersey to be re-done this year; Boca Raton, Florida will be upgraded next year.

True to the Bruno Magli tradition, all the lines, from couture to men's, to sport, to Monica Magli, are "true to the fit" Grueterich notes, "Our staff concentrates on that, making certain that the shoe fits to the foot." One can't help but ask if the visibility raised through the OJ Simpson murder trial effected the company's re-imaging--to which Grueterich replied, "OJ brought name recognition in America--but such publicity doesn't mean anything if you don't have product. The transition followed the trial, but was not related. I still get calls, especially if we show a red shoe, but my comment is, ‘Get a life.' We are now into updated classics, modern and fashionable, and Monica plays a big role in our new look. Our customers want something fresh--we are not extreme, but we are on top of it."

As part of the re-opening party, co-hosted by Miami's Ocean Drive magazine, ten percent of the week's sales went to Project: New Born, a Neonatal Special Care Center at the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Medical Center.