Francesco Russo for Dior?

The Italian shoe designer Francesco Russo is one of the industry’s most in-the-know design icons. Previously a shoe designer at Yves Saint Laurent, Russo created the mega-hit ‘Tribute’ shoe before joining Sergio Rossi. Now, according a report published Monday by WWD, Russo will join Dior to work on women’s footwear collections. 

Creative director and designer at Sergio Rossi from 2008 to 2013, he left the company to found his own namesake footwear label, which launched in Paris this September and is based in the French capital (conveniently close to Dior). While the footwear options at Christian Dior have been impressive during Simons’s time in charge (we loved the sports-lace detail on the Spring-Summer 2014 stilettos), there hasn’t yet been a pair with that instant recognition wow-factor. Has Russo been hired to whip up a best-selling rival to the Tribute? Only time will tell.