EXCLUSIVE: Birkenstock Collaborates With L.A. Brand Staud on Sandals, RTW and Bags, Too
With backing from LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton-linked investors, Birkenstock is rolling out the fashion collaborations at a fast clip.
Following recent partnerships with Manolo Blahnik — releasing a new polka-dot and PVC drop June 23 — and Dior’s garden-inspired runway styles, which also drop in June, the German shoemaker is teaming with L.A.-based casual, colorful contemporary brand Staud on a collection launching Friday.
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The lineup includes two pairs of sandals, a Gizeh and an Arizona Big Buckle in black and brown croco leather, respectively, as well as 12 summer-ready pieces of clothing and two tuck-under-arm bags in rainbow madras plaid and embossed leather.
The ready-to-wear collection includes a skirt and top ensemble, eight dresses and two sweaters, reflecting Staud’s day-to-night vibe — and should offer plenty of warm-weather wardrobe options for Staud designer Sarah Staudinger to wear on her honeymoon following her wedding over the weekend in St. Tropez to Endeavor chief executive officer Ari Emanuel, which drew Elon Musk, Emily Ratajkowski, Sean Combs and more, with Larry David officiating.
“To me, a Birkenstock can give any outfit edge…I wear them year-round; when it’s cold, with socks and when it’s warm, every single day. I wanted to riff on the one shoe you could just pack on vacation and wear with every outfit,” Staudinger said via email.
Nordstrom will be the exclusive retail partner for the Birkenstock x Staud collection, which will be presented in immersive displays at The Grove and New York City flagships.
The range, $165 to $495, is also for sale at Staud.clothing and Birkenstock.com.
Founded in Los Angeles in 2015 by creative director Staudinger and artistic director George Augusto, Staud sells a vision of California living and Instagram cool that looks expensive, but is priced right. While the brand has always offered clothing and accessories, it gained early success with its bucket bags, first carried by Leandra Medine, Alexa Chung and other fashion girls.
“That put us on the map,” Staudinger told WWD in a recent interview, noting that while accessories used to be 75 percent of sales, now they are a 50/50 split with clothing, including minidresses, crop tops and novelty knitwear with a Cal-prep look. “There is an easiness,” she said of the brand’s secret sauce, noting its roots in surf culture (reflected in the vivid hues and simple, sporty silhouettes), stoner culture (the occasional pot leaf decoration) and outdoor entertaining (cutout poplin dresses that pack an Instagram punch).
Staud just opened its first retail store on Melrose Place in L.A. this spring.
Launch Gallery: Birkenstock Collaborates with Staud on Sandals, RTW and Bags, Too
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