Designer Edgardo Osorio always arms himself with a bevy of successful and stylish women. Not only do they wear his Aquazzura shoes, but they also help inform and inspire future collections. In the past, such muses have included Olivia Palermo, Poppy Delevingne and Naty Abascal. And the face of Aquazzura’s latest campaign has been announced: Arizona Muse. Osorio describes her as “one of those people that has contagious energy. Spending any amount of time around her you are invigorated by her love of life, charming personality and hard-working spirit,” he tells Footwear News. “She is the Aquazzura woman through and through.”
Four new women are about to enter his footwear fold. Today, the Florence, Italy-based label is unveiling a new project with online e-commerce site Farfetch that pivots Aquazzura’s focus slightly from society swans and models to a quartet of influential buyers and retailers.
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Holli Rogers, Claire Distenfeld, Pascaline Smets and Princess Deena Al-Juhani Abdulaziz are women at the helm of international boutiques Browns, Fivestory, Smets and D’NA. For a resort capsule available now on farfetch.com, each worked with Osorio to create their ideal shoe style, which includes a strappy stiletto, a pointy pump in mixed animal prints, a platform sandal and a fringe bootie. “We are always looking for new, innovative ways to be collaborative,” says Stephanie Horton, Farfetch chief marketing officer.
Osorio was on hand in New York City on Tuesday to fete the collaboration. So what does it take to be an Aquazzura it-girl?
“They are all my friends,” Osorio said. “They are inspiring. If you have a store, if you are cool, if you have great style, you can get a shoe. With these women, it’s check, check, check.”
FN also caught up with Browns CEO Holli Rogers on the project.
What was the starting point for your shoe?
“A cool but sexy edge, comfort and timeless shape all denote the perfect shoe. This was my starting point as I approached this project with Aquazzura.”
What key details make the shoe the most “you”?
“My style is quite experimental: I’m not afraid of print or color, so the opportunity to create a pair of statement heels in a gorgeous shade of blue was a treat. The black style is slightly more classic, which is a nice counterpoint. Both pairs have been crafted from suede and feature a crisscrossing front that creates a caged effect, which I think is sexy as well as elegant.”
How do you plan to wear them?
“I tend to dress from the feet up — building my outfit based on the shoes I want to wear has always been my approach. I’ll be teaming my Aquazzura shoes with everything from jeans to cropped pants and evening dress. They’re the perfect party shoe.”
