To mark its swan song, famous Paris concept store Colette has collaborated with iconic French dance brand Repetto.
An extremely limited eight-piece run sees the label’s classic ballet pump model, Theater, given a festive glitter makeover in a silver and black degradé, along with a black tip and removable black elastic band.
And as for that secret message, the simple phrase “au revoir, Colette” is inscribed on the inner sole of each shoe — a fitting tribute to the relationship between store and brand that has taken in designer partnerships including Mary Katrantzou and Olympia Le Tan.
The shoe is named Catherine. And no, it’s not a reference to either superfan Catherine Deneuve or the Duchess of Cambridge. We checked.
Sarah Andelman, Colette creative director and daughter of founder Colette Roussaux, told Footwear News: “Over the years, we have often collaborated with Repetto, and I will never forget an adorable dance class during our Carnival at the Tuileries for our 15th birthday celebrations.”
Watch on FN
“We are honored to premiere this model Theater from the SS18 collection, which marks a turning point in the Repetto style, and we are touched by the little message ‘au revoir, Colette,'” said Andelman. “They are definitely a collector item.”
Colette will finally shut up shop at the end of December after more than 20 years in business. To finish off with a bang, the brand collaborated with Pharrell Williams and Chanel on an exclusive Adidas HU sneaker last month.
The Catherine shoe marks the world premiere of Repetto’s spring ’18 Transgression Project campaign launching exclusively for the United States with six limited-edition models. The Transgression Project marks the second phase of Repetto’s U.S. expansion, which began with a pop-up at The Webster during New York Fashion Week in September. Phase Three constitutes a very special Repetto dance studio opening in New York for spring 2018, while Phase Four is a series of collaborations that remain a closely guarded secret.
Gilles Assor, CEO for the Americas, told Footwear News: “Colette is a very close friend of the brand. Sarah came to our Paris Fashion Week presentation and really liked it, so we decided to work together on launching a sneak peek of Transgression to say goodbye before anywhere else in the world receives it.”
Look out for our exclusive interview with Assor in January 2018 and check back soon for our coverage of the dance studio preview today in New York.
