Footwear brand Allbirds has today announced their partnership with London-based fashion designer Olivia Rubin.
Rubin took the Allbirds Riser silhouette and injected her signature pastel aesthetic to create sneakers that embody playful, dopamine dressing just in time for the Northern Hemisphere summer.
Taking inspiration from the colourful townhouses of London’s iconic Notting Hill, Rubin’s goal was to give the Riser a joyful makeover. The sharp angles, accentuated edges and purposeful details of the Riser fit seamlessly with Rubin’s eccentric design language.
“I am beyond thrilled to be working on my first ever worldwide sneaker collaboration with Allbirds; a brand who I admire for both their sustainability values and their slick design vision. It has been a dream to create a unisex sneaker in my signature pastel colours all made with natural fabrics. I cannot wait to wear them and see them enjoyed by customers all over the globe,” said Rubin.
The shoe utilises Allbirds' signature comfort credentials and features the brand’s suite of natural materials. The upper is made with organic cotton and ZQ certified merino wool, whilst the pink Lyocell ripstop tongue, featuring the Olivia Rubin logo, is derived from low carbon eucalyptus tree fibre.
“Olivia brought so much energy to Allbirds and we’ve really enjoyed pushing her ideas. What I love about this shoe is that it has a 360 degree style, where you just keep turning it and something else is happening,” said Spencer Wyatt, Director of Concepts and Surface Design at Allbirds. “The Riser provided us with the perfect white canvas because of the multi textured materials and components. It allowed us to apply Olivia’s colour palette in a way that recreates her aesthetic.”
By partnering with Olivia Rubin, a brand that’s working towards a more sustainable future by minimising waste and over production, Allbirds wants to showcase that feel good fashion can have a lighter environmental footprint. The Allbirds mission is to tackle climate change through better business, with the belief that optimism and impactful storytelling are the key to shifting mindsets when it comes to sustainability.
The Allbirds x Olivia Rubin Riser is available in New Zealand from today, July 19 2023.
