The Ipanema is made by Grendene, one of the largest shoe manufacturers in Brazil. Supermodel Gisele Bundchen is the spokesperson for some of their shoes. The artist who created this line is J. Araujo, who was born in the state of Bahia, Brazil. He is 69, and self-taught. Several of his naif paintings are exhibited in European museums, and some of his works were selected to illustrate UNICEF's Christmas cards. With such authentic roots, it's no wonder we've fallen in love with these artistic gems.