New Collaboration Features Shoes With Pearl-and-Leather Straps for Spring
Mother of Pearl is teaming with Bionda Castana to create a footwear capsule collection for its spring 2017 show, FN has learned.
The collection consists of two styles — the “Amy” and the “Maia” heels — which blend Mother of Pearl’s sportswear references with Bionda Castana’s signature feminine shoes.
The “Amy” features a pointed toe and blocked heel which is embellished with a leather and pearl strap, similar to the hardware on the Mother of Pearl spring 2017 bags. The second style in the collection references Bionda Castana’s popular fringed “Sahar” ankle boots and is updated with a blocked heel and a playful frilled front panel.
“The collaboration brings together two strong identities, Bionda Castana’s more classic approach and Mother of Pearl’s contemporary aesthetic. Despite a juxtaposition of styles, both brands hold quality craftsmanship and design at their core. Mother of Pearl’s identity revolves around adding sporty or masculine detailing to a feminine product and so it felt natural that we could put our spin on Bionda Castana shoes,” said Amy Powney, creative director at Mother of Pearl. “Natalia [Barbieri] and I both ‘hit it off’ as we have a similar aspirations for our brands; we are both independent designers coming together with our ideas and creativity.”
The British label has recently been part of the finalists to receive the BFC/Vogue Fashion Fund and last January launched an e-commerce site to sell its collection of accessories.
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Bionda Castana creative director Natalia Barbieri shared a similar view, saying that she found common ground with Powney’s creative process and vision for her brand: “It’s the perfect opportunity for two young, London-based fashion houses to work together and create something new and different, while still retaining both of our signature style accents.”
Bionda Castana also launched a collaboration with British high-street retailer L.K. Bennett earlier this year and moved to a larger boutique down the road from its first London flagship, located on Elizabeth Street in Belgravia.
The shoes will be sold on both brands’ websites, as well as the Bionda Castana London store and are prized between 525 pounds or $696 and 625 pounds or $829.
