Italian Shoemaker Aquazzura Steps Into Home—Here’s an Exclusive First Look

By Alia Akkam

Colombian-born designer Edgardo Osorio toyed with the idea of naming the chic footwear brand he launched in 2012 after himself, but in the back of his mind, he anticipated that one day it would evolve from brightly hued women's shoes made in Italy into a full-fledged lifestyle company. So, he opted for Aquazzura instead "because it suggested the idea of Italian dolce vita," he tells AD PRO. A decade later, Osorio's vision for expansion is coming true with the unveiling of Aquazzura Casa, a joyful homeware venture spanning ceramics, linens, and glassware, at Salone del Mobile this week.

Osorio, who worked at labels such as Salvatore Ferragamo and Roberto Cavalli before making his mark with Aquazzura, is synonymous with handmade celebrity-beloved shoes. But the designer has always had a passion for the design of built environments and home objects. "My mother was an interior designer, and my father worked in real estate and construction, and that very much influenced my life," he explains, noting how much of his free time is spent visiting art fairs and flea markets and perusing auction catalogs.

Aquazzura Casa's Jaipur pattern.

The Tutti Frutti pattern by Aquazzura Casa.

The brand's theatrical boutiques, found in Florence, London, New York, Miami, Doha, Dubai, Milan, Capri, and São Paulo, are as thrilling as the goods they display, decked out in the likes of snazzy black-and-white stripes and shimmering brass. "They are my little living rooms," Osorio adds. "I want you to feel like you’re coming home when you’re inside them."

Osorio, who believes in nurturing through comfort and beauty, saw the Aquazzura Casa line as natural crossover territory. Lockdown life afforded him time to develop the project, for which he tapped event planner Fiona Leahy, of the eponymous London studio, to be co-creative director.

Go-to London event planner Fiona Leahy has been tapped to be Aquazzura Casa's co-creative director, helping inform the debut designs, such as the Cherry Blossom pattern above.

Together they have dreamed up vivid tablescapes that capture joie de vivre, a spirit he feels is lacking in the luxury market. "I wanted to step away from the usual crystal and gold and white. There's so much that can be done with color and pattern," Osorio says.

Take Jaipur, with its deep cobalt, rose, and burgundy fruit and flower motifs that nod to India, one of Osorio's favorite destinations, or Cherry Blossom, a pastel ode to the delicate Japanese flower. Cheerful Tutti Frutti transports one to Capri with its depictions of cherries and peaches, while Secret Garden, drawing from 18th-century Chinese porcelain, conjures alfresco dinner parties with its lush prints. Murano glass accessories and even a capsule collection of floral-wrapped cooking ranges with Officine Gullo help round out the collection.

The line's Tutti Frutti collection depicts delights such as cherries, peaches, lemons, and more.

Pandemic life resuscitated an appreciation for staying at home, and Osorio wants to elevate that domestic mindset by reviving the art of entertaining. "It's the ultimate expression of love and caring," he points out. But he is also determined to eliminate the tedium of tracking down each necessary piece to decorate a table, offering the products in each range not only individually, but as one complete time-saving package. In most stores, he says, these goods are inconveniently "separated by section, so you’re looking at 100 different napkins and then 100 different plates. I wanted something where you have a full set that is as minimal or maximal as you want," he says.

Growth is already top of mind for Osorio. In September, the first Aquazzura Casa flagship will open in Florence, buoyed by one-of-a-kind selections including antiques handpicked by Osorio himself. New additions, such as candles and room scents, are underway, reinforcing the designer's hope that Aquazzura Casa will be inclusive, a place to stop in for a gift as small as a striking mug. It is ultimately a "project from the heart," he says, one that allows "you to buy the dream, one where you’re halfway to having lunch on the Amalfi Coast."