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Published on March 8, 2008

Central Chidlom takes on a distinct European flavour this month with the British, French and Italian embassies joining up to bring the Central European Flair festival to Bangkok shoppers.

While the festival continues through March 25, three of Italy's best shows end tomorrow, so do make a point of stopping by this weekend to admire the fantastical footwear of top Venetian shoemaker Rolando Segalin and mask-making demonstrations by the celebrated Guerrino Lovato, as well as Marco Luly's mediaeval street performances.

Segalin followed in his cobbler father's footsteps and started making shoes for women when he was just 14. In 1932, at the age of 22, he opened his own shop.

Examples of his footwear are on display in museums in Berlin and Frankfurt, as well as in France and Canada. He has participated in numerous fashion shows in Rome and published articles in several important weekly and monthly magazines.

"At first I was just a regular shoemaker, but I had a lot of ideas and wanted to put my creativity into action," he says. "I decided to go for more fancy shoes and, well, it turned out very well, actually."

Through the Venice Film Festival, he's also made a name for himself in Hollywood. His superstar clients have included Tom Hanks, Richard Chamberlain and the late Marcello Mastroianni.

"Venetian shoes are very special. Their distinctive points lie in our love of walking. And Venice is a city for walking, so we need truly comfortable shoes," he says.

"We have a great deal of shoemaking knowledge, and we were one of the very first nations to identify the different characteristics of the left and the right feet."

Segalin may be getting on in years but he's still accepting orders. A pair of shoes will set you back Bt20,000 but you can guarantee they'll be a perfect fit.

Italian street performer Luly has almost 30 years' experience in theatre, ranging from contemporary to medieval drama.

He founded the theatre company Luoghi dell'Arte in Rome 18 years ago and still directs and writes plays for its actors.

Luly gets a kick out of touring and is pleased to be back in Thailand, where he has previously given lectures and performed at the invitation at the drama departments of Chulalongkorn, Thammasat and Srinakarinwirot universities, as well as at several international schools.

"I love working in cross-cultural productions together with students and actors of different nationalities," he says, adding that he has been given the Thai nickname Malako, meaning "papaya".

"Some Thais cannot pronounce my first name so they call me 'Malako'. I love it so much that I've adopted it for my e-mail address!"

Along with masks and costumes, Luly notes that the theatrical arts of different cultures share many of the same principles.

"Italy's Commedia dell'Arte can be compared to Thai khon," he says. "Once the actor has put on the mask, language is no longer a factor. Body expressions like flexed knees, stillness and balance are what come into play."

In his show, Luly tells the story of Arlecchino, a man on his first visit to Thailand but who knows nothing of Thai culture. He makes a lot of mistakes and is corrected by a Thai friend (played by a Thai actress).

Visitors to Central can catch the performance today and tomorrow at 1 and 7pm.

Kupluthai Pungkanon

The Nation