Barney’s NY knows that the recipe for a great evening involves shopping for shoes, a charitable cause, and, of course, tasty cocktails. We told you earlier this week about the launch of their brand new co-ed shoe floor, and the festivities continued last night with a soiree celebrating Sergio Rossi’s fall collection.
The shoes were displayed like art (the whole shoe floor feels kinda like a museum–only you can touch all you want) with strappy
Sergio Rossi sculptures on pedestals surrounded by bouquets of flowers.
The guests were in Instagram overdrive thanks to Barney’s Perfect Pairs campaign (as in #perfectpairs), which supports the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) and its Americans for Marriage Equality Program. The hardest part of the evening was trying to crop a pair of super tall, show-stopping over-the-knee boots with intricate cut-outs into the square frame (#instafail).
Though
Simon Doonan (our favorite) was there, the man of the hour was
Sergio Rossi’s charming creative director Francesco Russo. We managed to steal him away from the likes of Rachel Chandler-Guinness and Kenza Fourati for a quick chat. Read on to find out what the designer had to say about trends, inspirations and why a femme fatale is only as good as her shoes.
Fashionista: What do you think ‘perfect pairs’ mean to most women?
Francesco Russo: It’s the pair that makes you happy. That makes you feel comfortable in. That makes you bring out your personality and makes you even more beautiful.
Why do women get so excited by shoes?
I wish I had an explanation, but I think it’s connected with emotions. It is about empowering the woman. It’s a special relationship between the woman and the shoe that is unbelievable to me. There’s something about the psychology of the woman that changes when she wears high heels that is just fascinating, and it’s the reason I love designing for women.
Do you follow fashion or shoe trends?
I think you have to be respectful and true to who you are. At the end of the day trends are something in the air that you can feel in specific moments, so I follow those feelings and the environment.
What mistakes do women often make when it comes to shoes?
Usually the size. And then, the comfort. I think that I am one of the few designers that say that comfort is important for shoes. The whole point of high heels is to make the woman even more beautiful- a femme fatale when she walks in a room and down the street. If she doesn’t walk properly and isn’t comfortable it won’t work. I think sometimes women don’t pay enough attention to whether or not it is comfortable. Shoes are made to move and walk.
Which women inspire you?
So many. Difficult to give names because my muse doesn’t have a face, there are so many different women that inspire. I admire certain women based on the personality or the style.
