Answer extracted from the Beyond Luxury podcast — listen to the full episode below.
How did an early career in fashion internships at age 15 shape a luxury accessories founder's trajectory?
At 15, Edgardo convinced a Colombian designer's daughter to introduce him to her mother, a major bridal designer. She tasked him with sourcing matching shoes and bags for her gowns, which sent him across European fashion fairs like Premier Vision—and by age 19, he was working as a consultant for Ferragamo while studying accessories at Polimoda in Florence.
This early start was far from glamorous. What began as a favor—helping a designer find the right footwear—became an intensive apprenticeship in fashion production and luxury supply chains. For a teenager, access to European trade shows was extraordinary: he was learning not just design, but how the entire luxury ecosystem functioned, from sourcing materials to understanding the craftspeople who would later become essential to his own brand.
The dual path of work and study at Polimoda and Ferragamo compressed years of industry knowledge into a single period. Most designers might spend a decade scattered across different roles; Osorio had accumulated nearly a decade of hands-on experience by age 25, with direct exposure to both independent craftsmanship and the mechanics of a global luxury house.
"If you're not comfortable, you can't be sexy. The product should sell itself."
Edgardo Osorio — Founder & Creative Director, Aquazzura. Osorio began his career at 15 as an intern for a Colombian bridal designer, then studied accessories design in London before joining Ferragamo as a consultant at 19 while enrolled at Polimoda in Florence. By 2012, he founded Aquazzura with $12,000, establishing the brand in Palazzo Corzini and building it into a lifestyle house sold across 58 countries.
This philosophy—rooted in those early years of sourcing shoes that actually had to work with a bride's movement—became the DNA of Aquazzura. The brand's later expansion into tableware, handbags, and sunglasses was never about selling unnecessary products; it was about applying the same principle across categories—comfort, wearability, and craft as the core.
What makes this trajectory remarkable is the breadth of exposure compressed into youth. Rather than pursuing a linear path through one company, Osorio moved between a bespoke atelier, international trade fairs, academic design training, and one of the world's most respected footwear houses. When he founded Aquazzura with just $12,000 in his bank account, he didn't bring theory—he brought a lived map of how luxury actually gets made.
Key takeaways
- Starting as an intern at 15 for a Colombian bridal designer gave Osorio direct access to European fashion fairs and the supply chain behind luxury goods.
- Working for Ferragamo at 19 while studying at Polimoda in Florence combined corporate luxury experience with formal design training.
- By age 25, before founding Aquazzura, he had nearly 10 years of cumulative industry experience across multiple sectors and geographies.
- The emphasis on comfort and wearability—later central to Aquazzura's identity—stemmed directly from solving real problems for a bridal designer.
See also
Why did a footwear designer decide that comfort was essential to luxury shoe design?
After attending 13 weddings and noticing women constantly complaining about their shoes, Edgardo realized there was a gap: designer brands were creating beautiful but unwearable footwear.
What production constraints have forced Assouline to abandon potential book projects despite creative completion?
A surrealism book in the Collection of Styles was completed and fantastic, with the team spending extensive hours perfecting it. However, the project was ultimately shelved due to production limitations.
What factors determine which cultural subjects and stories deserve full book treatment within a luxury publishing program?
Selection comes naturally through curiosity and understanding how the world is changing. Ideas often emerge from meeting people and feeling drawn to their stories and perspectives.