Marco Vaghetti

Catch Marco on Do Radio, Making Stuff Up with Emma Warren 29th-4th January 2026.

Founder of LANX—a thirty-something Northerner fascinated by sumo wrestling, rugby, and my goal of becoming Andrea Pirlo.

My family hails from Lancashire's working-class towns: Blackburn, Bolton, and Preston. My Italian grandfather Alberto, from Caprese Michelangelo—Michelangelo's birthplace—came to England after the war. In 1971, my grandparents began designing furniture in their garden shed, where I helped during school holidays. Creativity runs in my blood.

After university, I worked in events and marketing, including footwear projects. Creating quality shoes proved harder than expected, so I initially abandoned the idea. But on 26 July 2016, I changed my mind and embarked on a six-month adventure—visiting factories, meeting designers, and working alongside craftsmen—to learn everything about making Proper Footwear. That journey became LANX.