Edmundo Castillo; In designing New York's sexiest shoes, Edmundo Castillo knew that he had to do them his way-with an exuberant, downtown spirit.(Brief Article)

Byline: Mark Holgate

Here's what Edmundo Castillo thinks is important about designing women's shoes: Do nothing that's too classic, too bizarre, or too much like Manolo Blahnik. The last point is very, very important. "Sometimes I'll sketch a design and then," says Castillo as he rips up an imaginary piece of paper, "it's gone: It looks too Manolo." This isn't to say that Castillo doesn't love Mr. Blahnik's shoes-he does, deeply-but he's acutely aware that when you're a young shoe designer striving to make your name, imitation is not the sincerest form of flattery. "Manolo made the world aware of the sexy stiletto, and he has made it his own. And it just so happens that those are the shoes that I've always loved, ever since I saw a pair of pointy alligator shoes in my mom's closet in ...