Birkenstock and Jil Sander team up for AW21

Footwear brand Birkenstock has unveiled its first collaborative project with designer brand Jil Sander for autumn/winter 2021.

The collection conceived by Jil Sander creative directors Lucie and Luke Meier is part of the Jil Sander+ offering. It blends the brand’s sense of luxury, comfort, and design with the authentic Birkenstock silhouette while also giving a “different spirit to sandals which have become contemporary icons,” said Birkenstock.

Commenting on the collaboration, Lucie and Luke Meier, said in a statement: “We have worn Birkenstocks for as long as we can remember. They are comfortable to wear, but also comforting. They have been with us in some remarkable places, from camping in the Canadian wilderness to sitting fireside in the Swiss Alps. However, the quality and integrity of Birkenstock are what convinced us to work with them.”

The Birkenstock x Jil Sander collection features four different models, three of which are “radical redesigns” of classic Birkenstock styles and one that is a completely new design.

The three existing models, the Arizona, Milano and the Berlin have all been reimagined, sporting an exaggerated silhouette with a rounded, wider, and higher profile and larger outsoles, resulting in what they describe as a “strong look and grounded footprint”.

They have also been enlarged and elongated, with straps in pure, raw-edged calfskin or suede, and the buckles have been redesigned thinner, in precious satin nickel.

The new Velan leather clog is a reinvention of the Berlin closed-toe sandal and features a soft Nappa strap to wrap around the ankles.

Birkenstock chief executive, Oliver Reichert, added: “We chose to work with Jil Sander, believing in the new interpretation of Lucie and Luke Meier. In our view, they have given this important brand relevance and authenticity. Together we achieved what we always strive for – real newness and product innovation.”

The Birkenstock x Jil Sander collection is available at jilsander.com, 1774.com, and mytheresa.com, then at select retailers and Jil Sander stores worldwide from July 8. Prices range from 320 to 500 pounds / 475 to 740 US dollars / 350 to 550 euros.

[Source: fashionunited.uk]