Etienne Russo

“We meet no ordinary people in our lives.” C.S. Lewis  

Guided by intuition as much as discipline, Etienne Russo has built a singular creative path where poetry, precision and collective emotion meet. Founder and Art Director of Villa Eugénie, he has spent over three decades imagining and producing fashion shows and creative experiences for some of the world’s most influential luxury and cultural brands. 

Born in Belgium to a Sicilian family, Russo developed early a sensitivity to atmosphere, rhythm and detail. His first professional steps in high-end hospitality taught him rigor and timing, while his year at Brussels’ legendary Mirano club opened a space for experimentation, where music, scenography, fashion and architecture naturally intertwined. 

This balance between structure and intuition would become central to his work. His encounter with the Antwerp Six marked a decisive moment. After working as a model and close collaborator with Dries Van Noten, Russo produced Van Noten’s first Paris Fashion Week show in 1991. The project set the foundations of a long-lasting creative partnership and led to the creation of Villa Eugénie, initially based in Brussels, at a time when designers were looking for new ways to express identity through space and emotion. Since then, Villa Eugénie has remained deeply rooted in the art of the fashion show, a format Russo considers essential for its intensity, its social dimension and its ability to crystallize months of creative work into a shared, lived moment.  

Collaborations with major maisons such as Hermès, Chanel, Dior and Louis Vuitton have shaped the agency’s reputation for precision, sensitivity and respect for the designer’s voice. Over time, Villa Eugénie’s practice has naturally expanded. Without turning away from the runway, the agency has opened itself to broader creative territories such as immersive environments, multi sensory experiences and 360-degree projects that extend beyond the show itself. These formats allow narratives to unfold over time, before, during and after the event, through space, film, sound and digital content.  

This evolution has been accompanied by a growing international presence, particularly in China and the United States, where new scales, audiences and cultural contexts have encouraged Villa Eugénie to adapt its language while remaining faithful to its core values. Whether intimate or monumental, each project is approached as a dialogue between brand, space and audience.  

Today, Villa Eugénie works across fashion, culture, retail, hospitality and exhibition design, from runway shows to spatial concepts for stores, hotels and museums. At every level, the agency seeks to create moments that feel precise yet emotional, structured yet open, grounded in reality while allowing room for imagination.  

Villa Eugénie has offices in Brussels, Paris, and New York. In 2022, Etienne Russo opened Villa Eugénie’s Italian headquarters at Palazzo Durini in Milan, reinforcing the agency’s international network and continuing a practice shaped by curiosity, adaptability and a belief in the power of shared experience. 

PH CREDITS: Giampaolo Sgura