Two Brazilian Shoe Brands Collaborate with Iconic Designers
Move over Rem Koolhaas and Zaha Hadid. The shoe world is drawing more big-name designers to the footwear industry, starting with a collaboration between the famous Brazilian shoe brand Ipanema and the world-renowned designer Philippe Starck. Called Ipanema with STARCK, the Spring/Summer 2016 collection is a re-envisioning of the modern sandal. Offered in four distinct designs in 12 colors each, the collection is both modern, yet comfortable, qualities that do not always go hand-in-hand (or foot-in-foot?) when it comes to shoes. The sandals are made of 30% recycled materials and are 100% recyclable. To achieve Starck’s designs, Ipanema adapted its industrial process to be more manual and artisanal, resulting in a production process employing a proprietary plastique injection technique. Available worldwide, the shoes range from $30-$40. Perhaps not to be outdone by their countrymen, another Brazilian footwear brand, Melissa Shoes, has collaborated with the furniture design duo the Campana Brothers. Inspired by their Baroque furniture collection, the Melissa Barroca x Campana collection are plastic flats that “lend a playful interpretation of Italian Baroque infused with the vibrancy of everyday Brazilian culture,” according to the brand. In celebration of the latest designs, the Campana Brothers have launched an installation Barroca: The Harmony …