In another alliance between big fashion and streetwear, Jimmy Choo will create the footwear for the Off-White spring 2018 ready-to-wear collection in Paris this month.
This is the first time Choo has collaborated on a commercial shoe collection with a ready-to-wear designer, although it isn’t the first time that Off-White founder and creative director Virgil Abloh has aligned himself with a big name in accessories.
The Choo designs will make their debut on Sept. 28 with a collection known as Off-White c/o Jimmy Choo. The shoes will be available to preorder directly after the show on the Jimmy Choo website for one week, followed by a global launch in some stores in February.
Choo follows in the steps of brands such as Manolo Blahnik, who has worked with Vetements in the past; Burberry, which collaborated this year with Gosha Rubchinskiy; and Louis Vuitton, which launched a men’s collection with Supreme over the summer.
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“To collaborate with a brand like Off-White allows Jimmy Choo to explore a new avenue and take part in a different conversation,” said Sandra Choi, the British brand’s creative director. “I love to mix it up by getting together with a different creative mind identifying our synergies and combining our DNA to create a beautiful and surprising collection with unexpected links to the roots of our brand.”
Choi has worked steadily — and with great effect — to inject a street feel into her designs, and especially her menswear, with offbeat sneaker hybrids, wacky colors and patterns, and a marriage of workwear and luxe styles. She often spends her workdays in skater shoes or biker boots.
Abloh, who studied architecture in the U.S., is rapidly building his mens- and womenswear label — which also offers objects, furniture and publications. In July, Off-White unveiled a deal with eyewear brand Warby Parker. The agreement was the latest in a string of collaborations, including Nike, Jennifer Fisher on jewelry and Ikea on bags.
“Creative dreams were fulfilled when able to combine the young exuberance of Off-White and the storied elegance of Jimmy Choo,” Abloh said.
