What is sexiness today? Annamaria Brivio has no doubts: “Sexy is an attitude.”

It’s easy to trust the Paris Texas founder, as the brand she established in 2015 has built its reputation by redefining what the term stands for through the duality embedded in its styles and expressed by its name.

Brivio has been challenging the notion that sexiness lies only in a killer stiletto heel one collection at a time, each seamlessly blending Parisian sensuality and Texan audacity, in a mix that sees hero products like the Lidia sky-high heels equally competing with Western boots with an edge and both appearing on the feet of Hollywood’s Who’s Who.

“The definition of [sexy] has changed through the years, it’s no longer what was depicted in editorials in the 1990s, for one. But, for me, it has always been pretty clear that it lies in an attitude … and in wearing something that makes you feel good about yourself,” Brivio told FN.

This has always been the starting point of her creative process, sparked by a personal need — at times even whims — or inspired by the women around her. “But what it’s important for me is to inject uniqueness in every style,” she said, mentioning the attention to certain proportions, materials and details making her designs less predictable. These elements contributed in attracting the backing of Brazilian conglomerate Arezzo & Co., which in 2023 invested 25 million euros to take over 65 percent of the company, marking its first international acquisition.

For Brivio, navigating in this industry has always been a matter of attitude, too. “The footwear business is a male-dominated one. You step into a factory, and they are all men. There are some situations that just make me smile, like when they assume that I’m ‘just’ a designer. It’s OK, I take them lightheartedly … maybe because I’ve always had women around me, even in my family, who always felt comfortable in their role without feeling the urge to prove anything to anyone. That’s been a big lesson,” she said.

Now she’s spreading this sense of self-confidence to her team, which expanded over the years to more than 30 people. For Brivio, a good leader today “understands the peculiarities of each person and nurtures them, with the aim to reach the same goal together.”

As for the many hats she wears, the creative one is still her favorite. That’s why she encourages those aspiring to follow a similar path in the industry to “cultivate creativity.”

“In the ’70s, there were really creatives, who focused only on that [side]. … And today we still have a cultural legacy [in this industry] thanks to their creativity. This got a little bit lost over the years, but now I feel that there’s a new generation looking to reprise that approach. … If there’s someone out there with a creative soul, I suggest to commit to it, not thinking about how to sell collections or the company to a fund. The creative director has to be creative — that’s the rarity that should come back,” she said.

A version of this article appeared in the June 1 print issue of FN, as part of the “Women Who Rock” special section. On June 3, FN and Two Ten Footwear Foundation honored these women at the annual live event in New York City.