Golden Goose CEO Silvio Campara and Manish Malhotra on Craft, Culture, and Modern Sneakers

Luxury sneakers have long moved beyond function, but few brands have interrogated the idea of why we wear them as thoughtfully as Golden Goose. Recently, the Italian brand brought that philosophy to Mumbai with the launch of a limited-edition collaboration with couturier Manish Malhotra—a partnership that fused Italian artisanal distressing with Indian embroidery and storytelling.

Unveiled at Golden Goose’s Mumbai flagship, the collaboration features two co-designed sneakers: a women’s version in white cream suede with gold floral embroidery, and a men’s edition in black suede bearing the same intricate motif. The launch was paired with an immersive Co-Creation experience, allowing guests to personalize their sneakers alongside the brand’s in-house artisans, known as Dream Makers.

For Golden Goose CEO Silvio Campara, the event marked more than a product drop. It signaled how global luxury is evolving away from polish and preservation, and toward emotion, individuality, and lived experience.

Golden Goose’s sneakers are famously scuffed, distressed, and hand-finished: an aesthetic that once challenged traditional ideas of luxury. Today, it defines them.

“The lived-in look resonates because it reflects life itself—never flawless, but always authentic,” Campara says. Each sneaker is intentionally imperfect, designed to feel personal rather than pristine. “The imperfections aren’t flaws. They’re declarations of life lived, moments experienced, and stories told through fashion.”

That belief is encapsulated in what Campara calls “perfect imperfection,” a philosophy that shapes every aspect of the brand. “Luxury today isn’t about distance or perfection,” he explains. “It’s about being real. Our products should feel alive, not untouchable.”

Campara’s approach is informed by a career that includes stints at Alexander McQueen and Giorgio Armani before he joined Golden Goose in 2013 and became CEO in 2018. The most enduring lesson, he says, is simple: understand people before products.

“The best advice I ever received was to see the business through the client’s eyes,” he says. Rather than leading from a boardroom, Campara spends time visiting customers globally, observing how they live, dress, and interact with the brand. “Growth isn’t about trends. It’s about empathy.”

That mindset has helped Golden Goose scale into a global luxury player reaching revenues of over €654 million in 2024 while maintaining its artisanal core.

In India, that philosophy finds fertile ground. Personalisation and Co-Creation that is central to the Golden Goose experience—align naturally with a culture that values craft, heritage, and individuality.

“Luxury is no longer just about the product,” Campara says. “It’s about the experience and the emotional connection.” Through Co-Creation, customers become collaborators, embedding their own stories into the sneakers. For younger consumers especially, he notes, the goal is not just to look good, but to feel connected to a brand, a community, and themselves.

Couture Meets Sneakers

For Manish Malhotra, the collaboration began with a shared respect for process. “What stood out immediately was Golden Goose’s respect for handcraft and individuality,” he says. “Whether it’s Italian artisans or Indian karigars, both cultures understand that good craft can’t be rushed.”

Rather than overpowering the sneaker with couture detailing, Malhotra focused on balance introducing emotion, embroidery, and texture while respecting Golden Goose’s distressed DNA. “I wanted the design to feel expressive but effortless,” he says. “Two journeys coming together without losing the soul of either.”

The sneakers tell a broader story about contemporary Indian style—one that Malhotra has been shaping for decades. “They reflect someone who is confident, rooted, and global,” he explains. “Someone who values heritage but isn’t bound by it.”

It’s a sensibility he has long championed, pairing sneakers with Indian wear both on-screen and on the runway. From Bollywood films to couture shows as early as 2005, Malhotra has used sneakers to introduce ease and modernity. “There are no strict dos and don’ts,” he says. “It’s always about balance.”

Golden Goose’s sport-driven DNA adds another dimension to its relevance in India. With deep ties to skateboarding, padel, and tennis, the brand emphasizes passion and community over performance metrics, a perspective that mirrors India’s growing interest in athleisure and lifestyle sports.

“We’re building emotional ecosystems,” Campara says, “where culture, craftsmanship, sport, and community intersect.”

The Mumbai launch concluded with a private celebration and DJ set by Nida Merchant, attended by figures including Aryan Khan, Arjun Kapoor, Bhumi Pednekar, Sara Tendulkar, Masaba Gupta, and Dino Morea. But beyond the guest list, the evening underscored a larger shift in luxury here sneakers are meant to be lived in.

As Campara puts it, true luxury today isn’t about collecting objects. It’s about collecting experiences—and wearing the stories that come with them.

The Golden Goose x Manish Malhotra sneakers are available in limited quantities starting December 11, 2025.