What better model than Italian footballer, Lorenzo De Silvestri—who just turned 21 on Saturday—is there to kickoff the summer campaign for the new Italo-Brazilian sneaker Paraná?!Discovered by the Italian entrepreneur Marco Gaudenzi while vacationing in Brazil, Paraná sneakers come in vibrant colors and are so lightweight that they fit like a glove.
The shoe was originally created for capoeira, the Afro-Brazilian art form that was brought by the slaves from Africa, most likely Angola, which is characterized by martial arts, acrobatics, and African dance.
One of the most popular songs sung while performing capoeira is Paraná ê, which refers to war of 1865 between Brazil and Paraguay, which lasted for five long years.
At that time, it was decreed in Brazil that any black slave who volunteered for war and survived would be granted freedom
So as the triumphant ex-slaves approached the Paraná River on their way home from battle, they sang a song of freedom, Paraná ê:
I will tell my wife, Paraná
That capoeira won [the war], Paraná
Paraná ê, Paraná ê, Paraná.
Happy birthday, Lorenzo! Tanti auguri!!!
Photos taken from Fashion Times with permission.
