Since he launched his eponymous collection in 2013, Francesco Russo has been determined to offer his customers a one-of-a-kind luxury experience. Now he’s taking the idea of custom shoemaking to the next level and creating semi-bespoke shoes in 48 hours.
The designer is testing out a new program he calls Patina. Here’s how it works: A customer can come to Russo’s Paris boutique and pick out one of three classic styles in unbleached leather. Russo’s artisan hand-dyes the shoe, waits 24 hours to give it time to dry, and then applies a lacquer (or patina) finish. The whole process takes just two days.
“We’ve always had a made-to-order program where people can choose their colors and their materials. But it takes six weeks to have those shoes delivered from our factory in Italy,” Russo said. “With everything moving so fast, we’ve figured out how to do it in 48 hours.”
The designer previously partnered with Just One Eye in Los Angeles to offer the service to the retailer’s consumers and will team up with Bergdorf Goodman to bring an artisan to the New York department store in October.
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In other Russo news, the spring ’17 offering continues to focus on classic styles with a twist. A standout this season was a stretched-knit spotted boot and the designer also introduced his version of a ballet flat.
For more from the collection, click through the gallery.
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