![Luxury shoe designer Edgardo Osorio says time is the most precious commodity – "the time to do the things you love".](/content/dam/images/g/s/b/h/r/f/image.related.afrArticleLead.620x350.gs58ke.png/1478127805822.jpg)
When Aquazzura's Edgardo Osorio is not designing some of the world's most covetable luxury shoes, he indulges in time out.
What is your idea of luxury?
Luxury is time, nowadays. The time to do the things you love, whether it’s reading a book, going on holiday, or just spending quiet time.
Biggest lesson you’ve learnt in the business?
![The Very Deena shoe, designed by Edgardo Osorio, features in the new collection.](/content/dam/images/g/s/b/h/r/e/image.imgtype.afrArticleInline.620x0.png/1477468135409.jpg)
To be creative you need to have a complete life, to see things; the eye has to travel. When you can’t go anywhere because you have to deliver collection after collection, your work suffers. It’s important to rest. I’ve seen so many people burn out; I don’t need to name names.
Top city for inspiration?
Los Angeles. You need to know where to dig, but the amount of things you can find there is incredible.
Preferred way to travel?
If I don’t have to go very far, I find the sea relaxing. Sailboats in particular are the most amazing way to travel. Trains are romantic also. There are some beautiful ones left in the world. Again, you need time to do that.
Favourite watch?
I like watches, but I’m not a big watch-wearing person. I see the time on my iPhone, and when I’m sketching, I take things off and leave them on the desk and forget them! But my favourite is a vintage Rolex with a green, crocodile leather band; the dial is also emerald green. To me it’s not like wearing a watch, it’s almost like wearing a colour.
Ideal car, either one you have or would like to have?
I own a couple of cars, but my vintage Fiat Cinquecento is my favourite city car. It’s so cool. I also love the 1956 Jaguar Roadster, the lines are so sensual. I don’t own that one, obviously. For comfort, nothing beats a Range Rover.
Best drink?
Tequila, sparkling water and lime.
Greatest challenge facing your industry?
Again it’s the time to do things the proper way, the time to be creative. I feel like now there are so many collections people are required to do, they don’t have time to think any more.
You designed a new capsule collection with online luxury retail platform Farfetch. The inspiration came from an unusual source, not your usual “it” girls. Tell us more.
The beauty of this Farfetch collaboration is that it promotes luxury boutiques that wouldn’t have a voice otherwise. Each shoe is inspired by these incredible women, the boutique owners, some of whom started buying my collection from the very first season. I love all the girls, so creating the shoes was all about them and their specific point of view. To me, a lot of these boutiques buy things that nobody else would buy – it’s the owner who has a strong fashion aesthetic and the store becomes their vision. Normally designers collaborate with models or “it” girls – this time it was about the people who choose what we wear.
With Farfetch, you can reach global customers quickly. Previously, it was harder to get your shoes in Australia. Is instant gratification good for the luxury industry, or is there value in searching out and waiting for something?
I think you need both. What we try to do with projects like Farfetch or with Net-a-Porter is [offer] a limited product for a limited time – it’s in and out and it’s gone, so it’s still not as available as it would normally be. More and more it’s about having things you can’t get elsewhere. I also think the retail experience is still important. My Aquazzura stores are different in each city. They’re all unique experiences, as the store belongs to that city. I like the idea of that, of discovery. That’s the reason people go to a store these days; it’s part of having that luxury experience.
Farfetch x Aquazzura collection available from December 6: farfetch.com