Chalhoub Group Aims to Amplify Emerging Footwear Design Talent With Launch of Its First Shoe Venture
After nearly 70 years of operating as a luxury retailer and distributor partner in the Middle East for over 200 brands, The Chalhoub Group is launching its first footwear label.
Called Sirocco, the new brand was created in collaboration with the Chalhoub Group’s Web3-native sneaker company Sol3mates and French designer Kacimi Latamène.
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According to Nick Vinckier, director of corporate innovation at Chalhoub Group, the launch of Sirocco, which will operate under the group’s Sol3mates umbrella, comes as the company is looking to amplify and empower emerging footwear design talent.
“We started Sol3mates about a year-and-a-half ago with the vision of being the sneaker label of the future,” Vinckier told FN. “We first launched with NFTs, but over time we wanted to do more. That’s when we found Kacimi Latamène on social media, where he went viral with his 3D virtual sneaker designs. So we reached out to him in hopes to collaborate.”
During his talks with Latamène, Vinckier said that it became “very clear” that the footwear industry does not invest in its talented designers — adding that virtually no consumer knows who is actually making their favorite shoes at bigger labels. “These designers are often placed in a cubicle in the corner and not given any financial reward for their ideas,” Vinckier added. “We hope to change that through this new business model, where Sol3mates is for designers what a record label is to music artists.”
More specifically, Sol3mates serves as a visionary platform for indie sneaker designers to bring their creative visions to fruition. The initiative aims to “break the mold” of traditional sneaker brand collabs by sharing ownership with the designers, with each creator receiving generous commissions along with the power to create whatever they want. This allows artists to focus on their creative work and community, while Sol3mates manages all other aspects.
Sirocco is the first brand of this project, with the hopes of signing other designers in the future to co-create their own labels. “We are in talks with a few other creators at the moment, but for the time being Sirocco is our main focus,” Vinckier added.
For its debut, Sirocco’s inaugural drop will feature one sneaker model priced at $340 in two colorways, Blanc and Noir. The release will be made-to-order to avoid wastage, with a cap of 500 total pairs, or 250 of each colorway.
Each pair will be equipped with a near-field communication (NFC) tag, facilitating ownership claim and authenticity verification. This feature renders each pair uniquely numbered and verified on the blockchain.
As for the shoe’s design, Latamène was inspired by his muse, architect Zaha Hadid. “If you look at the design of the shoe, you can see hints and nods to one of Hadid’s buildings in Sharjah here in the UAE – the Beeah building,” Vinckier noted. “Plus, the name ‘Sirocco’ refers to one of the eight Mediterranean winds that comes from the Sahara and can reach hurricane speeds in North Africa and Southern Europe, a tribute to the designer’s Moroccan roots. So you can also see the movement of the wind in this design as well.”
Sirocco’s first drop is now available for pre-order at Sirocco1.xyz through March 10, 2024. Consumers can expect to start receiving their orders in May 2024.
Pre-ordering customers will be treated with a complimentary Sol3mates Membership Pass (OG NFT), valued at $55, unlocking an array of community benefits ranging from discounts on future drops and free shipping, to monthly sneaker giveaways and exclusive event access.
According to Vinckier, 5 percent of the pre-order revenue will be channeled back to the owners of a Sol3mates NFT. Owners of such Sol3mates OG NFTs will enjoy a discounted pre-order rate of $80, along with free worldwide shipping.
To complement his first sneaker release, Latamène will also offer a T-shirt and a hoodie in his inaugural drop to serve as a preview of future Sirocco apparel collections.
More drops of the new Sirocco brand by Kacimi Latamène and Sol3mates can be expected later in 2024. The second drop will include a presence at selected retailers around the world, such as the Chalhoub Group-owned Level Shoes in Dubai, Gallery Mexico and Atmos Japan.
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