Born into a family of shoemakers, Alexandre Birman learned the craft of artisanal design growing up in his father’s factory in Brazil. After launching his namesake label of luxury women’s shoes in 2008, Birman’s designs quickly turned heads with his signature use of imported exotic skins such as python, snake, crocodile and lizard. The brand’s popularity got a famous stamp of approval when Leighton Meester, star of the hit television show, “Gossip Girl”, mentioned Birman’s name in an episode. Since then, Meester and her co-star Blake Lively have been frequently spotted wearing Birman’s canvas and leather sandals. Popular amongst young fashionistas, Birman also collaborates with new-generation designers such as Richard Chai and Prabal Gurung to produce all footwear for their fashion shows.