14 DAY TRIAL // Designer Vivienne Westwood is an embodiment of the modern yet undeniably feminine and fearlessly non-conformist British fashion ? however, if I asked you to name one of the most unlikely partnerships she could ever develop, one of your choices is bound to be the Brazilian shoe brand Melissa, world-famous for its innovative use of plastic and its policy for 100% eco-friendly policies. Vivienne Westwood and plastic shoes, you'll ask? Well, it would seem so ? and once you get past the first shock and the unlikely air of this collaboration and take a look at the reasoning behind the concept, the "plastic meets the quintessential British designer" story is very likely to grow on you.
Melissa has been an active brand on the market for almost 30 years and has made a name for itself for combining creativity in design and concepts with its commitment to use mono-materials that can be easily disassembled and recycled in order to produce as little damage to the environment as possible, and a zero-waste, strict quality control policy. Over the years, Melissa made a point of constantly trying to bring great names from the designer world into its high-tech plastic universe, and this year's collaboration with Westwood is without a doubts a great ? if slightly controversial ? achievement. We all know that PVC is one of the biggest designer no-no's out there. However, the Vivienne Westwood Anglomania + Melissa concept was ingeniously brought to life and this is what came out of it.
The Anglomania Mary Jane + Melissa recreates a design originally included in the Vivienne "Summertime" collection which was first launched eight years ago, in 2000. The model has currently been reinvented by the clever, eco-friendly use of injected plastic. "This technique guarantees perfect shapes without interweaves as we see in fabrics" stated the designer herself. This classic meets plastic design comes in vibrant, trendy shades of red, light pink, marine blue, green, as well as beige, latex, black and white.
The Anglomania + Melissa Ultragirl is a recreation of a classic model from Melissa. The popular Ultragirl gets a Vivienne makeover and Melissa fans will soon be able to choose either a velvet-covered version with the inner sole sporting a traditional tartan print, or another version which highlights the shine of plastic with a flower-patterned inner sole. "The most amazing thing about this partnership was to be able to create modern products, with very high quality, for affordable prices", say the creators of the Melissa brand. No word yet on the price tag ? but hey, this is PVC, how much could it ultimately cost? Stay tuned and we'll keep you up to date.
