SAINT-MEDARD D'EXCIDEUIL, France
Paul Gilles, head of Repetto factory, poses in the company showroom in Saint-Medard d'Excideuil, southwestern...
Paul Gilles, head of Repetto factory, poses in the company showroom in Saint-Medard d'Excideuil, southwestern France, July 11, 2013. In 1947, Rose Repetto created her first ballet shoes in a workshop next to the Opera Garnier in Paris, on the advice of her son dancer Roland Petit. French shoe brand Repetto produces its ballerina slippers for non-dancers and pointe shoes for ballet dancers in Saint-Medard-d'Excideuil, a village in the scenic Dordogne region. The supple shoes, 100 percent made in France, are still made using a "stitch and return" backstitch technique with high-quality workmanship and skill. Picture taken July 11, 2013. REUTERS/Regis Duvignau (FRANCE - Tags: BUSINESS FASHION)