Indians were buying luxury goods before anyone else: Edgardo Osorio

Edgardo Osorio, the 39-year-old creative director and founder of Italian footwear and lifestyle brand Aquazzura, admits he is a fan of India, having visited the country several times over the past decade. So, it was natural for him to set up shop in New Delhi’s upscale Chanakya Mall.

The Colombian-born, Miami-raised designer, who launched the brand in 2011 with the aim of creating beautiful, comfortable shoes that would allow women to dance the night away, has a presence in more than 58 countries with clients ranging from European royalty to Hollywood and Bollywood stars. In a freewheeling conversation with Business Today, Osorio spoke about his love for India, his journey, the growth of his brand and the future. Edited excerpts:

How important is India as a market for you?

I think it’s a market with huge potential. We have great Indian customers from a very long time. More and more, I see the area growing.

People say India is an emerging market, but Indians were buying luxury goods before anyone else. And so, I think this market, in a way, is having a different kind of comeback with new customers. So, there is huge potential.

We are probably the number one luxury shoe brand for weddings and parties, and this is the country of weddings and parties. We are known for making the most comfortable high heel shoes and I think Indian women understand that and will enjoy discovering the brand.

But why did you decide to come to India now, why not earlier?

I think this is the right time to be in India, as the market is ready to receive us. But at the same time, it was about finding the right partner. (Aquazurra has partnered with DS Luxury in its foray into India.) Many Indians are also now familiar with our brand as they shop for it globally.

Can you tell us more about the brand and its journey?

Aquazzura means blue water in Italian. I was in Capri, on a balcony overlooking the sea, and I told myself I wanted a name that reminded me of summer, of an Italian holiday. I wanted the brand to be about modern living. I set it up when I was 25 and attended 12 weddings in one summer. I love dancing but I realized that most women complained that their shoes were killing them within half an hour of hitting the dance floor. So I thought there was an opportunity to make beautiful and comfortable shoes.

After that summer, I went to New York to check out what was available in all the major stores. And I remember being at Bergdorf, and there were all these designers I knew, but they were all old. For example, he is at least 30 years older than me. And I thought there was an opportunity to be the shoe designer of my generation.

Because, you know, maybe little girls don’t root for a 55- or 60-year-old, even though they’re very talented and their mom’s closet is full of these shoes. Maybe they want someone their age to design something for them. So, I decided to take a leap of faith and set up Aquazurra in 2011 with just $15,000 in my bank. I would make them by hand in Florence and then take a suitcase full of shoes to New York where I would then display them in multi-brand stores. Social media was just starting out, and that helped me. Two years later we established our first store in Florence. Today we have stores in Florence, London, New York, Miami, Doha, Dublin, Milan, Sao Paulo, Capri, Madrid, Paris, Rome, Taipei, Saint Tropez, Manama, Kuwait, Riyadh and now New Delhi.

What inspires your designs?

I’m lucky enough to travel for seven to ten months every year all over the world for fun and work. I love exploring cultures. Every culture has so much beauty, especially a culture as rich as India, where there is fashion, music, art, dance, everything. Culture and women inspire me.

I am thrilled and honored to meet amazing women all over the world, see what they wear, how they combine things, and what they think. I love listening, and you know, it’s funny when you just listen, a lot of interesting things come out of the conversation.

So, everything comes together in my mind. When I sit down to design a shoe, anything can catch my eye. I’ve been to a restaurant many times and asked for a napkin to draw on while waiting for my food.

Will your entire collection be available in India?

We are focusing more on accessories at the moment, but I want to bring homewares to India as well. For now, it will be shoes, bags and jewelry. We will be launching the glasses next year and they will be available in India as well. I’m also looking forward to launching a men’s shoe capsule.

Aquazurra is distinguished by its non-logos whether it is shoes or bags. Was that a conscious decision?

You don’t need a logo when there is a design signature. I believe that elegance does not require logos or brands. You know an Aquazura shoe, when you see it, you don’t need to see the logo.

Will you see an Indian-inspired collection? Will we see you making here?

I launched one a few years ago but would like to collaborate with an Indian designer and launch a collection. All my shoes are handmade in Tuscany, an hour from Florence, but I do a lot of embroidery in India and that will continue.

What’s next for the brand?

My dream has always been to become a lifestyle brand. So, we’re launching eyewear and a capsule for men, as I said. But we are also entering the F&B space and launching the first Aquazurra bar in Rome which will open in the spring. We also launch candles, room scents, and do other things within the interior design category. So, there are a lot of projects coming up.