Once only reserved for the great outdoors and a magnet for grotty mud and dirt, sneakers are today a staple in every young girl’s wardrobe. And more so now, as sportswear is increasingly being given a stylish edge. Case in point: the couture-inspired, modern-feminine Californian label, Rodarte collaborated with 100 year-old Italian sneaker brand, Superga. Evoking memories of youth, the once humble sneaker is set to reach a whole ethereal level altogether with this partnership.
Choosing film director, Gia Coppola – Francis Ford Coppola’s granddaughter – as their muse, Kate and Laura Mulleavy of Rodarte infused their magical touch on the classic sneakers. Where once Superga sneakers had an iconic cut, the new Rodarte x Superga collection instead melds together an assortment of both high and low top designs, fish net overlays, contrasting prints and crocodile embosses. Using the classic sneaker as a canvas for their fantastical musings, the design duo said “We were inspired by the brand’s iconic look, and by taking that recognizable message and putting it into new context—one that conceptually explored innovative and interesting textures and fabrications. We built a world inspired by netting, stamped leathers, and surfaces (tweeds and denims). This allowed for us to keep the meaning of the Superga classic line, and yet bring our point of view to the design.”
And indeed they seemed to envision a whole new world in this collaboration, where Gia Coppola strides leisurely in her new kicks against the soft ethereal Los Angeles background. “I thought they were just supercool girls because they loved pop culture and California in the same way that I did,” said the part time model and director before enthusing, “I wear by Supergas every day and I love Rodarte so much, I couldn’t ask for a better pairing in my world.”
And neither could we.
Elizabeth Tan
