I was lucky that I started very young, since I had a very clear idea of what I wanted to do. But my father is very conservative, and he never considered fashion to be a real career but something I could pursue as a hobby. He wanted me to be a doctor, and at one point, I thought of becoming a plastic surgeon.

I like the idea of sending my Aquazurra girls out with a lucky charm under their feet.

When I started out, the idea of comfort in shoes was almost a dirty word.

For me, I knew the Christy flat was a beautiful shoe, but I had no idea the incredible trend that would follow - I mean, it's the most copied thing ever!

I started doing flats because women would always apologize for wearing them when they met me, as if they had to be in heels when meeting a shoe designer.

I was surrounded by women and all I would hear is of them complaining about their shoes. Back then, 'comfort' was a dirty word in fashion footwear. This was before fur loafers or sneakers. So, I wanted to create a shoe that was like slipping your foot into a glove - something beautiful, feminine, and sexy at the same time.