COLOR STORY; FAMED SPANISH DESIGNER AGATHA RUIZ DE LA PRADA BRINGS HER OFFBEAT STYLING TO THE KIDS' MARKET.(Interview)

Footwear News, January, 2007 by Clack, Erin

Byline: Erin Clack

For Agatha Ruiz de la Prada, ordinary isn't an option.

Since emerging on the fashion scene in the early 1980s, she has become one of Spain's most prolific designers. Ruiz de la Prada has put her colorful, avant-garde stamp on everything from clothing, furniture and household appliances to stationery, pet accessories and public playgrounds.

Her quirky touch has resonated strongest in the children's market, where footwear is one of her most successful product categories. The designer introduced an extensive collection of kids' shoes in 2002, manufactured under license by Spanish firm Garvalin. A line of baby shoes followed later that year, produced by Cuquito. The shoes have been "a big success from the start," Ruiz de la...