Manu Atelier, Rotate Collaborate on Shoe Capsule
LONDON — Two buzzy young labels, four very stylish women and lots of Instagram cred: The collaboration between Danish ready-to-wear label Rotate and Istanbul favorite Manu Atelier was a no-brainer.
Both brands have been on the rise in the last five years. Rotate creative directors Jeanette Madsen and Thora Valdimars had also taken part in Manu Atelier digital campaigns, in their influencer capacity, so there was already plenty of common ground to build from.
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Now, the duo joined forces with Manu Atelier cofounders and sisters Merve and Beste Manastir Bagdatli to create their first shoe capsule.
“For our first collaboration we wanted to align ourselves with the right brand and Rotate was the perfect fit in terms of brand values and purpose. We also love the fact that they are two female founders: any excuse for us to work and support women. All four of us being women meant we could get in our customers’ shoes — literally — and create the perfect summer footwear collection: Shoes that are made to empower, by ensuring that the cuts and lines are flattering,” the Manastir sisters said.
Their concept was simple: easygoing heels, bold colors and pure fun. This translated into lace-up sandals adorned with metallic printed fabrics from the Rotate fall 2021 collection; pumps in croc-effect leather, and bold patent leather boots featuring color-blocked heels.
Courtesy of Manu Atelier
“It’s really about fun, injecting colors and really embracing life especially after over a year of living in leggings and wearing trainers. I think this pandemic really inspired us to create an uplifting collection and inspire freedom,” added the Manastirs, who have just opened their first flagship store in Istanbul and have been among the few contemporary accessories designers to keep the momentum up, even as the market swings back to luxury.
For Madsen and Valdimars, this was an opportunity to learn more about the technical aspects of shoemaking. They embraced a comfort-first approach, just like they’ve been doing with their party wear for Rotate.
“We wanted to offer a small line up of shoes that could complete any look and could be mixed and matched with Rotate’s ready-to-wear pieces,” said the designers, who will be returning to the catwalk next week during Copenhagen Fashion Week. “We also wanted to create a more subtle party shoe, in light of everything that happened in the recent months: These are shoes that work for many different occasions, and can be worn season-after-season. The design philosophy was the same as Rotate, bold with fabulous details yet still easy to wear.”
Courtesy of Manu Atelier
Rotate started with a small edit of contemporary-priced dresses that stood out for their playful, party spirit — think sequins, extra large shoulders and mini silhouettes. Since then, they’ve become Copenhagen Fashion Week’s hottest ticket, expanded their range to separates and lounge wear, and worked with partners like Net-a-porter, Bergdorf Goodman and Mytheresa. This is their first foray into footwear, and there’s interest to “explore further,” according to Valdimars and Madsen.
The collection will make its debut on Aug. 4 at Browns and across both brands’ e-commence channels. Prices range from 345 euros to 420 euros.
To mark the launch, the designers also worked with the content creator Jen Ceballos on a digital campaign that will be released at the same time.
“We’ve all been working with Jen separately for a while now and love her energy and aesthetic. We are always drawn to her imagery and how she plays with the lighting around her body in a very feminine way, so we felt she was the perfect embodiment of both brands,” added the Manastir sisters.
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