Fans of Narciso Rodriguez can now exhale!

While Narciso Rodriguez will likely garner plenty of attention for his fall ’13 ready-to-wear collection when it hits the runway tomorrow, the designer wants to shine the spotlight on footwear, too.

“Reintroducing shoes has been great for the whole company,” Rodriguez said of the fall ’12 relaunch (after a five-year hiatus). “We’re all very dedicated and we’re design junkies, so it has brought new excitement and new energy to the company and the team. It also [has generated] really great buzz for the brand again.”

Lisa Park, DMM for women’s shoes at Barneys New York , which was the label’s exclusive partner for its footwear launch last July, noted that the shoes have resonated with consumers on multiple levels.

“His footwear always has an edge, but in a very feminine and sexy way,” she said of the single-sole pumps and boots in suede and exotics, which are made in Italy and retail from $795 to $1,295. “He’s also a master at mixing materials and colors in unique combinations that you won’t find in any other collection. He pays great attention to every detail, combining clean lines, sharp silhouettes and modern styling with quality and craftsmanship. He’s extremely attentive to our customers’ needs and is always eager to hear and to incorporate their requests.”

In addition to building a presence in U.S. luxury doors, Rodriguez’s 16-year-old label also recently partnered with a new showroom in Italy that will help drive global growth. All told, the footwear collection is in 30 doors and five countries.

After the runway show tomorrow, the designer is diving straight into the next season, with plans to increase the shoe offerings and expand into new categories. “The pace is the most exciting and the toughest part,” Rodriguez said.

Here, the designer discusses his upcoming plans for footwear and next big categories, and his White House connection.

Source: Zeereport

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