Nicole Richie didn’t have to look far to find her latest creative partner on a shoe collaboration for House of Harlow 1960, her womenswear brand.
“I had been using Raye [shoes] in my campaigns for House of Harlow because they are also on Revolve,” Richie said, adding that they are office neighbors. “I started taking a few pairs home because I’m a fan of the brand. I asked them if I could collaborate with them, and I had footwear designs in mind.”
The palette of House of Harlow 1960s ready-to-wear line inspired Richie. The range is designed in rusts and earthy tones, featuring mules with knitted uppers on stiletto heels, knotted strappy sandals and furry slides, along with hero fabrications of suede and satin.
The 11-piece shoe line is available for $148-$188 exclusively on Revolve.com. The collaborators are planning for a follow-up in March. “It’ll be a lot of fun color,” Richie shared.
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Richie launched a 20-piece footwear collection in 2010 under her Harlow label, but this time around, with a collaborator, she has other concerns: “I wanted to do this to see and take the time to make sure I got the fit 100 percent and the feel 100 percent. I wanted to dip my toes — pun intended — in the water and get a feel of what that would be like.”
Below she talks more on the collaboration, the industry and regrettable shoe moments.
Whom do you see wearing your collection?
“It’s the girl who wears many hats and doesn’t fit in the neat box,” Richie explained. “She’s at work or at school and doesn’t always have time to change. She wants to be sexy but not horny — and that’s what the shoes have to represent. We have heels, beautiful and bright-colored. I have flats because that’s my No. 1 shoe for a wedding — I want to dance and have fun. I wanted to focus on beautiful heels but also beautiful flats that you can wear day to night and feel comfortable.”
How do you see yourself playing a role in #MeToo/TimesUp movement?
“It’s so important that we, as women, are able to support ourselves in work and overall lives. I think there’s a vibration of the world — you’re feeling a draw to make the world a better place and express yourself in helping the world move forward. That’s so beautiful about what the fashion industry is doing — donating proceeds. You’ll see a lot of rainbows in my spring and summer collection — we did a rainbow shoe, also — and it’s not just representing to the gay community. What House of Harlow is doing is saying we can represent colors for everyone and saying we’re not fitting into a certain box and understand that we all need each other.”
You’re celebrating nearly 10 years since House of Harlow launched. What have you learned along the way?
“There are some things that you will never understand unless you never experience them. You have to understand who you are to succeed in the business. You have to build your DNA – that gets tested consistently in this business, whether that’s meeting with buyers and keeping on the business side instead of the creative side. At a certain point, there’s no way to do it all.”
What’s the best advice you’ve been given?
“You can never be on someone else’s path. All that advice does is support you in making decisions. The fashion industry changes, and we’re all changing with it. What’s cool about all these creative people is that we’re figuring it out and being open to the world and what business brings.”
What’s your favorite shoe memory?
“When I was 13, all I wanted were platform sneakers. Guess designed a pair. They were so big and clunky, and I thought I was so cool. My friend got them, too, so we had matching shoes. We were running down my hallway one day, and we were going to McDonald’s. She put on her shoes, but I didn’t. I stuck my foot out to trip her and instead I slammed my toe and broke my toe. I will never leave the house without shoes again.”
