Francesco Russo

An inventive cobbler with a taste for tradition, Francesco Russo traces his passion for ultra-feminine shoes back to childhood. “I was looking at my mother and my sisters getting dressed – he recalls – As soon as they wore heels, they immediately turned into magnificent creatures”.

After 20 years designing for Brands including Costume National, Miu Miu, Yves Saint Laurent, Sergio Rossi and Dior, following an idea of shoes as both architectural object and seduction tools, in September 2013 Russo went solo, launching his eponymous label.

He chose an unorthodox angle and focused on just a few timeless shapes. By opting for creative rhythms which are more in sync with true invention, Russo now skips the idea of the collection, as well as that of the succession of seasons, to create objects that celebrate beauty. He made his atelier at n.8 rue de Valois the centre of his idea of extreme luxury that for Francesco is the total attention to the client’s desires.

This extraordinary attention to the feminine personal universe is perfectly embodied in the two main services provided in the atelier: Made To Order (the unique opportunity to order custom version – including materials and colours – of each shoe Francesco designed) and the Patina (an hand dyeing process for the shoe, that from unfinished crust leather allow the customer to choose within different colours).