Put your best foot forward with Aquazzura’s dazzling new collection

It’s the season for standing tall in statement-making stilettos, according to Aquazzura founder and creative director, Edgardo Osorio, who is putting the party firmly back on the dance floor in FW21.

Subverting the new normal’s penchant for humble flats, the Italian designer is instead opting for spindly heels with jewelry-like embellishment, bringing after-dark joy to the everyday.

“Whether we are still at home or lucky to be back out in the world, beauty and dressing up will always be a fun means of self-expression and imagination,” says the designer of his latest collection, which was dreamed up during a period of quiet. “Good shoes will always take us somewhere, even if it’s just in our dreams.”

Inspired by New York in the 1970s, Osorio – who was born Colombia but was raised in London and Miami, has long-channelled the essence of urban escapism through his collections – looked to the city’s extravagant dance parties and the decadence of Studio 54, where freedom was firmly on the agenda and sparkling jewels were as much a part of the city’s landscape as its dazzling skyscrapers.

Such reference points culminated in a collection of pointy-toed pumps with sensual cut-out details and transparent mules decorated with disco ball-esque crystals – they’re ideal paired with mini leather hemlines, or fluid evening trousers in silky textures. The new Babe sandal, meanwhile, with its leg-lengthening, superfine straps and delicate bow detail, offers a seamless blend of barely-there minimalism with maximalist bling; amp up the monochrome by teaming them with crisp white denims and oversized tailored blazers for an easy, after-dark look.

Trust Osorio to put the fun back into footwear. The designer, who established his vivacious Aquazzura label in Florence in 2011 after cutting his teeth at Salvatore Ferragamo and Roberto Cavalli, has become renowned for his ability to mesh his cool, colorful designs with artisanal craftsmanship – all his sleek heels and refined boots are handcrafted in his Florence, seamlessly marrying modern aesthetics with time-honored techniques. It’s perhaps no suprise he has since collected awards for accessories designer of the year.

The designer is ideally placed, then, to convince us to slip back into stlilettoes and remember the joy of dressing up, no matter where we’re heading – the specially crafted cushioned in-step makes even the highest of Aquazzura heels feel like walking on air. “I was looking for fun shoes that could work from day to night – from entertaining friends at home to a night out on the town,” he says. So whether you have a party to attend or simply want to elevate your everyday denims, dressing from the feet up has never felt so freeing.