Aquazzura Launches Children’s Line With $550 Miniature Designs
Aquazzura is no longer looking to solely adorn the feet of well-heeled women. The brand will also begin to sell luxury shoes for children, with many styles matching those of the adult line.
Presently available for pre-order on Bergdorf Goodman’s web site, toddlers’ styles start at $240. From there, the line’s prices escalate — up to $550 for little girls’ sandals. The collection is aptly called Aquazzura Mini — providing a mommy-and-me consumer moment.
Riffs on Aquazzura’s well-known — and widely copied — laced ballet flats as well as styles with pom-pom embellishments are available in petite form. Little boys’ shoes have not been introduced.
“A new generation of Aquazzura girls is born with Aquazzura mini. It is a wonderful addition to our brand that many of our clients who are mothers have been requesting. It’s the same DNA of playful and sophisticated elegance,” said brand founder Edgardo Osorio.
The line is the latest project for Osorio, who in May opened the first U.S. Aquazzura store — on Madison Avenue.
“We normally have at least 20 to 30 percent of our merchandise be exclusive [to each store],” Osorio said at the time of his retail strategy.
Osorio intends to continue implementing this destination-geared product concept with each new Aquazzura boutique.
“Everything looks the same, shopping while traveling became so boring for me, so it’s quite important for us to work with different architects and have different stores and products. I want to make [the stores] personal — each has a soul, a different color palette. It’s like stepping into my New York living room,” Osorio said.
Aquazzura, founded in Florence in 2011, also operates brick-and-mortar units in Florence and London. A Bal Harbour, Fla., unit opened in July. Osorio said he is also investigating retail spaces on the West Coast.
In May, the brand said it is aiming to double its global business within the next year, although Osorio declined to reveal sales volumes.
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