On Tuesday, Sept. 29, Stuart Weitzman, founder of the high-end shoe brand Stuart Weitzman, came to speak with the Middlebury community. Weitzman’s visit, organized by Clover Fashion Magazine, gave students the opportunity to hear about entrepreneurship, his career and the fashion industry. This visit was far from unfamiliar territory for Weitzman: Middlebury was the 139th school where he has spoken throughout his career.
“I love going to these schools,” Weitzman said in a sit-down interview with The Campus. “Meeting people like you, trying to make something to hang on to, so that maybe you are inspired to do something like I did, that would be beneficial.”
Weitzman officially retired in 2017, capping off a storied career that began working at his father’s company, Seymour’s Shoes — that’s where he started to learn about footwear and marketing. Although he lost his father at 22, Weitzman said he was still able to learn valuable lessons from him.
“I didn’t work with him enough to learn his way, but I worked with him just enough to learn the shoe way,” Weitzman said.
Despite his early knowledge of shoes, Weitzman originally planned to work on Wall Street. At the University of Pennsylvania, Weitzman studied finance and even had an offer from Goldman Sachs upon graduation. But Weitzman said he never regretted turning down that opportunity and switching to fashion.
“What is the right path? The right path for me is the one that moves you, drives you, makes you feel like ‘Wow, I want to do that.’ And I got excited that people liked my shoe design,” he said.
Once Weitzman was committed to pursuing fashion, he made it a point to learn the craft himself. He recalled traveling to Lynn, Massachusetts twice a week to take a pattern-making course. Within this course, Weitzman was surrounded by designers rather than owners. These foundations would give him a unique perspective as he sought to distinguish himself in the fashion landscape.
His business background also helped to set him apart from other designers. While most companies had separate people handling business and design, Weitzman was well-versed in both. Eventually, his career took off, and he designed shoes for some of the world’s most famous figures, including Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Kate Middleton and Michelle Obama.
Weitzman’s shoes became known for their creativity and use of unique materials. As his career progressed, Weitzman would go on to design some of the world’s most expensive shoes. His “Rita Hayworth” heels incorporated jewelry that belonged to the late actress and cost a staggering $3 million.
While Weitzman’s brand was successful, he eventually felt the need to step back and retire. Since neither of his daughters wanted to take over the brand, Weitzman sold his company to Jones Apparel Group, which acquired a 55% majority stake in 2010 and the remaining 45% in 2012. In 2015, the brand was sold to Coach for $530 million.
For Weitzman, this means seeing a brand that carries his name but no longer reflects his creative choices. While he is not happy with the direction the brand has taken since he sold it, Weitzman said he is not particularly concerned.
“I sold it to them. They screwed it up. Not me. I don’t have any concern,” he said.
Now, Weitzman spends much of his free time traveling to college campuses and giving talks similar to the one he gave at Middlebury. He recalled a girl who approached him at Princeton and told him that, as a senior, his talk was the best presentation she had ever attended on marketing.
“That’s why I am doing it. I don’t think of it as giving back. I am part of a community, so what can I do to be part of it?”
The Middlebury event itself drew around 50 students, and afterward Weitzman sat down for a smaller conversation and dinner, where students had the opportunity to talk to him directly. The following morning, Weitzman got breakfast with the Jewish Association of Middlebury, which was open to any students who wanted to attend.
Weitzman’s impressive career has come full circle through these college talks, where he shares the lessons he has gained over decades in business and fashion. His legacy now extends beyond fashion, with an emphasis on education and passing his knowledge on to younger generations. His alma mater, the University of Pennsylvania, even renamed its design school the Stuart Weitzman School of Design.
All told, Weitzman is able to appreciate what he has built. When asked if he would do anything different if he could go back in time, the entrepreneur simply answered: “Well, it worked out okay, right?”
Violet Wexler '28 (she/her) is a Local News Editor.
Violet has previously served as a staff writer. She is majoring in Political Science and intending to minor in Russian and Psychology. Outside of The Campus, she works with MIDDvotes, hosts a radio show with WRMC, and helps out in the admissions office. Last summer, she was on campus at Middlebury assisting with political science research!
