He inherited from his father, a shoemaker, the tools and the traditions of an artisan.[3] Rossi built his factory in San Mauro Pascoli in 1951,[4][4] In the early years, he worked through the winter making sandals that he would later sell[6] on the beaches of Rimini and to boutiques in Bologna. One such model, the Opanca[2] was one of the most popular. After a couple of years, the first shoes bearing the Sergio Rossi signature were produced,[2] marking the first official collection.[6] According to Vogue, during the 1960s, the company, “quickly became synonymous with Italian quality and classic feminine designs.”[8]