Designers Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren of fashion house Viktor & Rolf have teamed up with Melissa, a Brazilian brand known for its vegan clothing, to create a line of vegan and recyclable handbags and shoes. The accessories from the collaboration made their official debut during the Viktor & Rolf Haute Couture Spring/ Summer 2020 Show and are now available for purchase; however, according to Melissa‘s website the official release won’t occur until April. It can only be assumed that there will be new additions to the collection.
Retailing for $119, their “Possession” shoe is sold in black, aqua, white and beige and although it resembles the jellies shoes of the 90s and much of Mellissa’s other designs, it has been reimagined by Viktor and Rolf as a lace flat, closed-toe sandal. According to Inhabitat, Melissa shoes are made from Melflex plastic, which has been described as “a patented, hypoallergenic recyclable and extremely flexible PVC”. The same can be said for the handbag that is featured in the collection. This handbag retails for $179 and comes in beige and aqua. Despite being made from PVC the bag looks as though it is made from wicker and lace and is reminiscent of a picnic basket.
Courtesy: Melissa
According to Teen Vogue, this partnership has made Melissa the first Brazilian brand to participate in the couture shows and although this is Melissa‘s first time participating, the brand has done many notable collaborations in the past. Some collaborators include Fila, Disney, Jason Wu and Garçon. Not only has the brand been successful but they’ve also been conscious of the environment while doing so. On their website, Melissa states “Our shoes are made to be reusable and after you’ve worn out your Melissa shoes you can always trade with or donate to someone else. If you still need to get rid of them, they’re made of 100% recyclable raw material and will become new products.”
On the runway, these accessories were paired with many colorful patchwork dresses and translucent socks. Models were painted to look as though they each had tattoos, which read positive phrases or words. Viktor and Rolf’s idea behind this line was to reuse scraps of fabric in order to create couture dresses. They edited some of their previously designed silhouettes and paired a few with large and eccentric hats. The reuse of old materials seemed to inspire the pair, as they chose to collaborate with a sustainable fashion brand. Of Melissa’s values, they stated “We are deep into our exploration of conscious design and we adamantly apply this practice to our collections and cobranding projects. We are keen to learn from our partners, and Melissa is a pioneer in creating products with positive practices.”
Courtesy: Viktor and Rolf
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