Location: Beverly Hills Hotel Los Angeles California
Photos by: Samantha Annis
Click here to find a hotel in Beverly Hills.
It was another glorious morning here in LA, the sun is shinning bright through the palm trees and the feeling of eternal freedom hitting me yet again, it seems like everyone who comes here gets automatically “care free”, that included my interviewee – Edgardo Osorio the man behind your favorite shoes – Aquazzura.
Edgardo was in town for a wedding and a public appearance, we bumped into each other in both of those occasions but eventually decided to meet for breakfast a freshly squeezed juice at the iconic and very photogenic Beverly Hills Hotel.
Can you please tell me what Aquazzura means, and why you named your brand like that and not after your own name as many shoes designers do?
Aquazzura means blue water in Italian, I was sitting in my office one day imagining the sea, I think I was in desperate need for a holiday and all I could think of was the beach.
Your shoes are adored by so many women around the globe, can you explain why Aquazzura became such a huge success so fast?
It’s been 5 years since I started the brand, it all happened very quickly because of social media, just in one season we became a globally recognized brand with many followers, press and stockiest. I started the brand because I wanted to bring “sexy” back to women’s shoes, at that time there wasn’t anything feminine, colorful, chic and comfortable, I just wanted to make beautiful sophisticated shoes, I saw a lot of vulgar shoes at that time and I wanted to return to elegance, I guess it’s the mix of all those things is what makes Aquazzura so special to women.
Speaking of which, who runs your instagram account?
I do!! Since day one I have been posting on social media myself, I use it for inspiration and this way I keep in touch with my customers directly, it functions as my personal account too.
There isn’t one “fashionable” girl who isn’t wearing your shoes, but who was the first “fashion girl” to wear Aquazzura?
Battaglia Giovanna was one of the first girls to wear my shoes, a season later I saw the entire front row wearing my shoes it was a great moment. A lot of women apologies for wearing flats, I thought it was just madness! You can look sexy and sophisticated in flat shoes too!
Where did the passion for designing shoes came from?
I went to so many weddings before starting my brand, all the women complained about how uncomfortable their shoes are, also at fashion week I noticed women changing shoes between shoes, from heels to flats, I thought this is wrong, I just had to step in and design something that will be comfortable, wearable yet sexy so I designed my first best seller “the sexy thing” or as we also call it “the 12 hour shoes” that’s how it all began.
How is an Aquazzura shoe comes to life?
It starts with my travels, I gather inspiration from everywhere I go, I am on the road 9 months a year. Once I am back in my office I sit down and I start to sketch, I also skatch by the pool, in the plane in the office, (I never stop!) once I choose my favorite sketches I meet with my artisans and we start developing the shoes, every detail on my shoe is made specially for the brand including the little gold pineapple. The shoe has to become a part of your body, it needs to make your feel amazing so we have to change and fix the shoe until they are perfect.
Speaking of your golden pineapple, what is it all about?
Pineapples in Italy are a symbol of hospitality but later I discovered that a golden pineapple is a lucky charm, attract wealth and good fortune, it’s a good luck to wear it on you every day!
What are your future plans for your brand, what’s next for the little gold pineapple?
We are opening 8 stores this year, Miami, New York, Toronto, London and we are woking on Paris as well… We are launching a “kids and baby” collection a “mini – me” Aquazzura.
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