Last night marked Alexandre Birman‘s second appearance at the Met Gala in New York — and in honor of the occasion, the designer introduced a new footwear style worn by muse and model Doutzen Kroes.
Dubbed the Vicky Crystal sandal, the shoes are an update to the luxury brand’s signature silhouette, featuring a sleek black suede heel and knot element across the front strap, as well as crystal embellishments along the toe and up the heel. It marked their red carpet debut.
“We wanted to take the opportunity to showcase a brand new creation during fashion’s biggest night,” Birman explained in a statement. “The Vicky Crystal is an extended style from our core collection that embraces the thematic camp element while staying true to the brand’s DNA.”
Ahead of the evening’s festivities, arm-in-arm Birman and Kroes stopped to chat with FN on the red carpet. “The shoes, besides being beautiful, fit really well,” he explained. “She can stand up all night — that’s what matters the most.” The former Victoria’s Secret angel agreed, noting that she “wore them already yesterday all night.”
Kroes paired the heels with an extravagant Giambattista Valli Haute Couture gown in hot pink, complete with exaggerated ruffles and a lengthy train — an appropriate choice for the fun and frivolity of the 2019 theme, “Camp: Notes on Fashion.”
Defining camp, Kroes told FN: “Camp for me is all about wearing whatever in your fantasy you would want to wear.” Birman, on the other hand, described it ahead of the event as “very Gucci. I think it’s very [much] about millennials and the integration of street fashion with high fashion.”
The shoes, which are now available on AlexandreBirman.com, retail for $1,180. Last year, the designer’s eponymous brand celebrated its 10-year anniversary in the shoe business, with Birman attending the Met Gala alongside Kate Upton.
Additional reporting by Nikara Johns.
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