Calleen Cordero Collaborates With Donna Karan’s Urban Zen Stores, Launches Men’s Sandal Collection
L.A.-based designer Calleen Cordero has collaborated with Donna Karan’s Urban Zen stores on a new collection of sleek studded sandals, handbags and belts.
Last spring Karan went to Cordero’s North Hollywood factory where the designers came up with the line. The Calleen Cordero for Urban Zen collection is currently available at the retailer’s shops in Los Angeles, New York City and Sag Harbor, N.Y.
“She sold Donna Karan (brand) and now has the most beautiful retail stores,” Cordero told Footwear News of the collaboration in a previous interview.
For fall, Cordero’s collaboration with Schott NYC on studded jackets will debut. Utilizing her production facility throughout the year and designing across categories is one way Cordero has kept business thriving.
“That’s the kind of fresh stuff that keeps my name, art, and production being filled,” Cordero explained. “I make shoes, but I cross train all my employees to do things other than just shoes.”
Last March, Cordero expanded into the men’s category with the launch of Cordero Man, available online and at her eponymous retail store.
The line includes several studded and hardware-embellished sandal styles that cost $485, as well as men’s belts, bags and other leather goods. Plans are in the works for a full men’s footwear collection beyond sandals in 2018.
Cordero recalled experimenting with men’s sandal styles in the past, but said that a male’s design perspective from her husband helped define the look this time around.
“For years, everyone’s been asking me for men’s shoes — it’s something that we can do and it seems very natural,” Cordero said. “Having my husband, who’s into fashion, come on board to curate it is a different story.”
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