Cobbler Francesco Russo on why it’s wrong to think shoes still have seasons
In Hong Kong to promote his launch of a made-to-order shoe service at Lane Crawford, the 42-year-old Italian says he dislikes the trend-chasing nature of the luxury footwear industry
Most designers are obsessed with looking ahead, but not Francesco Russo. The Italian cobbler, who has been working in the industry for more than 20 years, insists on doing things the old-fashioned way.
Over the past few decades Russo has become known for creating some of the most iconic women’s shoes. Remember Saint Laurent’s Tribute shoe? Or Dior’s futuristic pumps with the techno-trainer platform? Those were his designs, along with countless other best-sellers he has created for various fashion houses.
I have been wearing high heels since I was eight or nine and I still wear them. I’m not a flat man
His love affair with shoes began when he was a young boy growing up in the Italian region of Puglia. He would watch his mother, a seamstress, fit clients on a daily basis. He even began drawing clothes for his sister by the age of seven. When his parents would go to church on Sunday he would play-dress up in his mother and sister’s shoes.
“I have been wearing high heels since I was eight or nine and I still wear them. I’m not a flat man. The heel is the dream, the flat is the reality. You wake up in flat or middle heels, but I dream in high heels,” he jokes.
Russo first pursued a career as a ready-to-wear designer before deciding later that shoes were a better fit. After working at brands like Costume National and Miu Miu in Milan, he was summoned to Paris by Tom Ford to work at Yves Saint Laurent. He was 26 years old at the time.
From then on it was evident that he had the Midas touch. In addition to designing for high-profile brands, he was also thrust into the spotlight in 2008 when he was made creative director at Sergio Rossi. In 2013, however, he quietly launched his own shoe collection.
