The Man Behind Beverly Hills Boutique Madison Is Launching a Women’s Shoe Line

This new high-end Italian line for women will debut for spring '20.

After nearly 40 years in the shoe business, David Assil, owner of the Beverly Hills, Calif., boutique Madison, is putting his spin on a women’s shoe collection under the name Madison.Maison.

“I wanted to go back to the artisanal Italian shoes of 15 years ago,” said the veteran footwear retailer, who, in addition to wholesaling, plans to carry the upscale line in his Beverly Hills store and through a shop-in-shop in Malibu’s Fred Segal, starting in spring ’20. “A good style transcends generational or cultural boundaries.”

According to Assil, the collection is composed of classically retro pieces a woman could pull out of her closet and wear today. “To me, if it’s real fashion, it shouldn’t have a quick expiration date,”  he explained.

The line, retailing from $395 to $995, includes sandals, ballet flats, tennis shoes and boots, the latter of which will be a signature year-round look. The collection, which also includes companion bags, will be delivered in late October to high-end boutiques.

Assil opened his store in Beverly Hills in 1990. “We were one of the first to bring in Mui Mui, Chloe, Marc Jacobs, Balenciaga, Marni, Christian Louboutin, among others,” said the retail veteran. “By the late 2000s, as I traveled to different cities, I noticed there were all the same stores and same brand matrix. I wanted to stay ahead of the curve and decided that the next turn was going to be a return to individuality and exclusivity.”

Over the years, the store introduced a number of lesser-known brands to the roster, such as Fauzian Jeunesse, Officine Creative and Silvano Sassetti — lines that have become the core of the Madison business, he said.

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