Style file: 20 minutes with Francesco Russo

An award-winning and experienced shoe designer for some of the leading labels in the fashion world, Francesco Russo is well-known for his innovative creations and exquisite taste. In 2013, Francesco established his eponymous brand and opened his boutique in Paris. Soon after that, he reached beyond the scope of the idea of “collection” by launching a bespoke programme exclusively in Hong Kong. STYLE takes a look into every step that he took.

Q: What did you get from the experience of working for the leading luxury brands and how did it inspire you to go solo?

A: Who I am today owes to the experience I had in my past. Any collaboration that I had so far in my journey as a designer is reflected radically in what I know and what I am today. We are what we live and we have what we experience in life. What we have today are the results of the past years and the exchanges we had. I [acquired] the knowledge of shoe-making, thanks to all the people I have worked with in the industry in the last 20 years.

Then I got to a point where I was ready to express what my beliefs in terms of luxury, products and shoe-making with my own brand, my own journey and my own story. During my last experience with Sergio Rossi, I was the one at the front to explain the design and to express the value and what my beliefs were. So after my last collaboration, I started to have the urge to express all those values that are personal. There will be no compromise in terms of style. Once I had made up my mind, making the decision of creating my own brand was not difficult. It was very natural to start.

Q: What are the differences between being an in-house designer and the founder of your own brand?

A: It was very comfortable to work in-house for brands because I had a stable job and salary. Everything was connected to a specific part of my job, which was designing shoes. I didn’t have to take care of the things that were not necessarily what I loved. And I was the king of the world because I worked for the brand that makes a lot of money and in turn benefits the suppliers. Setting up my own brand was difficult. My project was very specific and exclusive. It didn’t necessarily mean number and money at the beginning. It was something about passion. It was quite difficult to be able to defend such a point of view and find the right support and going from being very spoiled to being alone. It was a difficult journey. The difference is not about being free. It is about what you express. When you work with other brands, you work on a basis – the heritage and the image of that brand. It is like the difference of being a writer and a translator. You write a book or translate a book. So when you work with a brand, you take a story and translate it into your language. But the story is already there. When you have your own brand, it all starts from zero. It is your story, your vision and your language. Having my own brand is like writing a story on a blank page. It all belongs to you.

Q: What is the idea of the new made-to-order programme for women’s footwear amid the ever-changing fashion trend?