Collina Strada's Founder on Why Her UGG Collaboration Is the "Best She's Ever Done"
After a subtle tease at Collina Strada's Spring/Summer 2024 runway show, the brand is officially debuting its new collaboration with UGG, resulting in a seven-piece collection of fresh footwear styles. Featuring spiky Mary Janes, animal-inspired clogs and tulle-clad platform sandals, the collection is a homage to femininity and strength and all the ways in which they converge.
Offering an evolution of the fashion brand's runway show concept, which invited guests into "Collina's Gym" to showcase a space where "inner feminine power" presides, the collection aims to reflect the "flex" that is femininity. "With women constantly passed over for power positions, the femme body and mind have long been shaped by the imagination of men. It's about time we re-sculpted that meat-headed vision into something closer to the reality of femininity something altogether sweatier yet more refined," explained the brand's show notes.
As the collaboration makes its global debut, we caught up with Collina Strada founder Hillary Taymour to find out more about the process, the inspirations and what makes this collaboration the "best she's ever done."
Read on for the full interview.
Tell us a bit about how the collection came about, was UGG always on your list of dream collaborations?
UGG was always high up on the list. I was emailed by Jensen who is amazing and head of the partnerships team. Working with the UGG team has been the best process and best collab I have ever done.
The collab was teased on the runway for SS24, how did you decide to launch it in that way? What do you think about the rise in runway launches?
We made the shoes to match the prints of the clothes in the collection, they all have true Collina runway prints on them and it just worked. I think it's important to show the full story, and it doesn't feel like just a one-off product. It's a collab that really fits in the world of Collina.
In terms of the styles themselves, the footwear range harks back to the essence of your SS24 collection, "Collina's Gym." How did you continue to portray that message of strength and femininity with these designs?
That's just the way I design. I don't even think about it, it's just what happens.
The collection also includes a Mary Jane silhouette, a style that's had a real resurgence this past year. What is it about the MJ that you love? Why do you think it's kept coming back?
Nostalgia always has a way of creeping back in. There are ebbs and flows of trends, and I think the Mary-Jane is here to stay for a while. It's a great silhouette for women walking in the streets of New York right now.
Tell us a bit about the decisions behind the collection's colour palette.
I love non-color. It is colorful, but also can be treated like a neutral. It's not necessarily the brightest most pigmented colors, but they are subtle, perfect for spring... haha!
What's your favourite silhouette from the collection?
I love the Mary Jane and the dog clog, but please don't make me choose!
Finally, what's next on your collaboration list? What are your plans for the year ahead?
We are launching another drop with UGG for Fall 2024, I can't wait! We are working on our September show and have lots of surprises to come.
