If you’re looking for the next big thing in the shoe world, you’d do well to keep your eyes on the feet of the Hadid sisters Gigi and Bella. Both the models and their stylist Mimi Cuttrell are cool-spotters and champions of hip emerging labels long before they hit the big time.
Here’s the inside scoop on their top three.
Both Paris
The Brand: Both Paris is known for its vulcanized rubber dips, this unisex Franco-Chinese label launched a couple seasons ago. It’s all about industrial silhouettes and exaggerated soles. Some styles even come with a tag bearing their rubber density formula.
They Say: “Bella Hadid is certainly one of the most influential celebrities at the moment and also one that we believe matches our aesthetic perfectly. Since she wore our Gao sneaker we received a lot of requests from stylists and influencers but also from stores. It immediately became one of our top three bestsellers with wholesale while women’s sales increased by almost 50 percent.”
Mimi Says: “Both Paris takes a very minimalist approach to the kind of sneaker and high top that is trendy right now. They have this new age modern feel that is very unique to this brand. They’re very simple and basic, so they can go with any sort of look.”
Watch on FN
Bella Wears: Fall ’18 Gao Runners (or p=1.21×106 μg/cm3 to the aspiring chemist),$525, available from June at Opening Ceremony; Both.com
iRi NYC
The Brand: The online-based New York design collective founded in 2017 creates shoes and sneakers with distinctive saw-toothed soles and heels in both color block and monochrome. Co-founder Latif Nawab worked with Tim Hamilton and Waris Ahluwalia developing their wholesale businesses.
He Says: “We love Mimi’s taste and have long admired both Gigi and Bella’s style. Working with them has allowed iRi to gain visibility rapidly which, as an emerging company, is our number one priority. Sales have shot through the roof due to this.”
Mimi Says: “I love iRi because their shoe design is unlike any other label I’ve discovered. They always have a fun, playful take on a sneaker or boot and it’s something my clients love. They incorporate unique lines and shapes into their footwear, and I love how creative they get.”
Gigi Wears: Black nubuck boots, coming soon.
Bella Wears: Black sock sneaker, $345, Irinyc.com
https://www.instagram.com/p/BfcEA4Snpce/?hl=en&taken-by=mimicuttrell
Rombaut
The Brand: Vegan footwear label based in Belgium making limited edition, sustainably produced sneakers with a low environmental impact. They’re done in anti- bacterial vegan leather, rubber-coated cotton canvas and PU-based synthetics.
They Say: “It’s very interesting to see how the industry reacts to influencers wearing different brands. Seeing a shoe on someone like Bella can encourage stores and consumers to choose edgier styles and also show that sustainability and veganism are not marginalized in fashion any more. Bella helped generate orders in our e-shop.”
Mimi Says: “Rombaut is the most masculine of the shoe lines I’ve been working with (it’s unisex) and it’s perfect because I like to mix masculine and feminine pieces together in one look. To me, it’s a grungier sneaker that can make a look more edgy and artistic.”
Bella Wears: Fall ’18 white high top Boccaccio rave sneakers. $403, available from July, Rombaut.com
