NEW YORK, July 30, 2001/ -- Shoe designer Edmundo Castillo may have spent nine years honing his skills under the tutelage of Donna Karan, but the 34-year-old Puerto Rican had a foot fetish long before that. "Even at school I was into footwear. I was obsessed with having the newest and best sneakers," he says.

After stints at New York's Fashion Institute of Technology and Parsons School of Design, Castillo made his first strides in the footwear world with Karan. But it took some trying. "I tried for a few years to work at Donna Karan and eventually one day she returned my call," he remembers. "I took my portfolio into her office and she hired me on the spot. I was completely overawed."

"If it weren't for her, I wouldn't know half of what I know now. She really let me get creative and design myself," Castillo says of Karan. "She didn't just dictate what she thought I should design, she'd give me an idea and I'd take it from there. It was like being at school," he tells FWD at his cozy apartment/office/showroom/warehouse on New York's 51st Street.

It's that hands-on experience that Castillo truly credits for his successes, like the 2001 Perry Ellis Award for Accessories for his recently launched signature line. The hipper-than-thou crowd went wild when he won at this year's CFDA event, giving Castillo yet another reason to celebrate an already special day in his life, June 14. He explains: "It's actually really strange, but I came to New York for the first time on the 14th of June 14 years ago. And on June 14th 2001 I won the Perry Ellis Accessory Award. Weird, right?"

So has winning this illustrious honor signaled any changes in his career? "People who have never returned my calls in years are now calling me left and right. There are chocolates and flowers and offers. I find it hilarious and am enjoying seeing who contacts me and congratulates me," he muses.

Castillo, who draws inspiration from exotic places and legendary beauties like Jackie O, has put out an incredibly sexy fall 2001 line. "They are all classic styles with a flair or detail. My favorite shoe for fall is the baby Sting Ray. It was really difficult to make but is so delicate, beautiful and elaborate," he says, referring to a rich red model made from the sleek sea creature.

That kind of panache is typical of Castillo, and just what makes him atypical of the footwear crowd. "I like sexy shoes, I like a heel, and I like well-made shoes," he says simply. "There is nothing worse than a cheap shoe trying to look expensive - you can just tell."