René Caovilla's creations—"Oggetti d'arte chiamati scarpe" (Objets d'art known as shoes)— all began in the early twentieth century with Edoardo, the founder of the maison, and a pupil of Giovanni Luigi Voltan who, upon returning from America, set up the first mechanized footwear workshop in Italy, in Stra, on the Riviera del Brenta. Between the 1950s and '60s his son René Fernando, who had gone to Paris to study design, accentuated the elite nature of the products, becoming a sculptor of Swarovksi diamond-encrusted evening shoes that were precious and sexy. His entry into the fashion world took place when he met Valentino Garavani. Two decades of synergy between the couturier and the designer gave birth to cult objects. Later the Maison Christian Dior (1990-1995) camed onto the scene, followed by Chanel (1995-2000). In 2000 the decision was made to solely produce shoes with the René Caovilla brand. In rapid succession a Showroom and the first Boutique Salotto in Milan were opened, followed by single-brand boutiques in Rome, Venice, Porto Cervo, Paris, London, Dubai, Doha, Moscow and Taipei.