Since Alumnae‘s launch last year, co-founders Kari Sigerson and Eliza Axelson-Chidsey have been turning out a collection of chic-as-hell flats, whether it’s crisscross slides, woven sandals or ballerina mules. With the market currently flooded with loud and proud embellished styles, theirs is the stuff of a shoe palette cleanse.
The right people took note. The Italian-made, New York-based label quickly garnered a following from minimalist, discreetly stylish havens such as The Apartment by The Line, Beams, Cul de Paris and TNT. FN touched base with the longtime collaborators — who first met at Sigerson’s former namesake juggernaut, footwear label Sigerson and Morrison — to hear more about their singular approach and latest resort ’17 collection.
What was your inspiration for resort ‘17?
“Simple, clean, modern is our mantra, so that is a constant, but this season we were inspired by some strong colors, too: a great green we found, and the enduring appeal of red, whether a rich scarlet, or a more pop coral. And silver.” — Sigerson
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“Starting out, it was important to be tight, and we felt like our bronze gold was right, but now silver feels so fresh.” — Axelson-Chidsey
Why do flat styles feel most right, right now?
“Our lives are so busy. There is so much going on. So much we want to do. And it is so important to look good doing it. Flats make that possible. I put on a pair of beautiful, chic flats, and I am ready for whatever the day presents: meetings, errands, walking or riding a CitiBike across town if I want to, dinner or drinks after work, and everything else an exciting city like New York has to offer.” — Sigerson
What new styles did you develop for resort?
“A great asymmetric slide — very simple, very chic, very modern, and a two-band sandal with stitched mignon stripes which we did in a great graphic black, white, gold treatment.” — Axelson-Chidsey
“Beautiful new colors of some signature styles that customers and the press have really liked, such as our Knotted Sandal in silver and red suede.” — Sigerson
What make Alumnae unique from all the shoes on the market?
“It is really such a rich assortment. While some pieces are very textural, bright and colorful, others are less so, and the Alumnae shoes that are included are similar. Whether the customer is looking for full-on tropical regalia, a special accent piece or something more minimal, we try to offer options while staying true to our clean, modern aesthetic executed with the highest attention to detail and amazing Italian craft.” — Sigerson
To view the rest of the collection, click through the gallery below.
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