时尚设计师的佛罗伦萨巴洛克宫殿 | 古典与现代的完美结合

‘It’s all part of the same story: whether I’m designing my stores, collections or my own house, I work in a very similar way,’ says Edgardo Osorio, founder of the luxury brand Aquazzura. ‘It’s about giving something a personality. It’s a reflection of who you are.’ Certainly, Osorio’s home reflects his knack for Hollywood glamour and excess – fitting for a man who has dressed the likes of Nicole Kidman and Jennifer Lawrence in the sky-high, bedazzled heels Aquazzura is known for.

In 2014, Osorio moved into his apartment in the Palazzo Corsini, one of Florence’s most celebrated Baroque palaces, on the banks of the River Arno. ‘Originally the house was all white, so it’s undergone a big change!’ he says. ‘For me, it was about making every room something special, in and of itself. Of course, it’s in a palace, and I really wanted it to feel like that, but I like to have a mix of the old and the new, and to put contemporary art with antiques.’

The light-filled living room, which is decorated with cork wallpaper, Meridiani sofas and mirrored walls. Francisco de Almeida Dias

Osorio began by making moodboards of his travels and passions and combining them with his love of colour and print. The result feels grand, yet welcoming. The living room may have been designed around a 17th century Portuguese altar, spotted through the window of an antiques dealership in Lisbon, but the rest of the space is soft and sumptuous: cork wallpaper gives the effect of ‘fabric wallcovering, almost like silk damask’, while blush-pink velvet sofas from Meridiani ‘make it feel cosy, somewhere everyone can sit and feel comfortable’.

The entrance to the apartment features an intricate, hand-painted de Gournay wallpaper, designed to make the space feel like a winter garden. Osorio collaborated with the brand on a shoe collection that sold out in record time. The TV room is also a homage to nature, and features Osorio’s collection of corals and seashells.

The hand-painted wallpaper in the entrance hall, designed by de Gournay. Francisco de Almeida Dias

Osorio's red lacquered dressing room, a nod to Yves Saint-Laurent’s apartment in Paris, is a bold contrast to the rest of the house. His bedroom, which looks out over the River Arno, features a mixture of traditional and modern design: a vintage chair is covered in a bright leopard print fabric by Schumacher, while works from Galerie Negropontes and Jeff Koons decorate the space. 'I’m passionate about interiors and it’s such an inspiration for my work. But I like a home like this, that looks properly lived in,’ he says. ‘It’s like a moodboard of my brain.’

The red lacquered walls of Osorio’s dressing room, which is decorated with a zebra skin rug, a marble table and a centrepiece by Hervé van der Straeten. Francisco de Almeida Dias

Osorio’s brain is certainly a valuable commodity. The Colombian-born designer moved to the UK to enrol in the London College of Fashion at 16, but dropped out two years later to work at Salvatore Ferragamo in Florence. In 2012, he launched Aquazzura, the name of which was inspired by Italy – specifically, the blue waters off the coast of Capri.

In the last decade, the brand has grown to be sold in over 50 countries and, in 2022, Osorio introduced a homeware range: Aquazzura Casa. ‘It really is a dream come true. It feels like we began yesterday, but also a lifetime ago,’ he says. ‘I wanted to do homeware because I’ve always loved to host, whether it’s a small dinner or a big party. It’s such an act of love and I have a lot of fun with it.’

A corner of Osorio’s bedroom, where an artwork by Jeff Koons sits beside a vintage chair. Francisco de Almeida Dias

The brand’s latest range, which includes patterned ceramics, linens and glassware inspired by the label’s Italian homeland, was conceived during lockdown. ‘After the pandemic, I rediscovered how wonderful it was to receive friends at home again,’ says Osorio, who prides himself on throwing an excellent party. His dining room, always the centre of the action, features extensive moulding and panelling on the walls, complemented by stately columns, while a vintage ‘Sputnik’ crystal and brass chandelier from the 1970s hangs above the Carlo Colombo table, topped with Carrera marble.

Aquazzura’s ’Jaipur’ tableware collection is a feast of colour. MATTIA AQUILA

‘I always make great cocktails – my signature is a spicy margarita – and I curate my seating plan carefully, thinking about who’s going to get on and entertain everyone,' he says. 'I also have a good playlist for during and after dinner.’ When it comes to setting the table, his advice is to ‘make it a moment and dress the table how you’d dress yourself. You can be even more extravagant and make it maximalist in a way you might not with an outfit. Think conversation starter!’