More than eight years in the making, we remain as committed as ever to exploring new territory. Working with a jeweller represents an exciting first for Malone Souliers, and has given them the opportunity to think afresh about how they embellish their shoes. L’Atelier Nawbar has been creating jewellery from their hometown of Beirut, Lebanon, for well over a century, establishing themselves as exemplars not just of craft, but of imagination, too. We share their passion for beautifully made objects and felt a collaboration made perfect sense.
Working with L’Atelier Nawbar’s enormously talented team of designers and makers, we have created a capsule of shoes that reflects the meeting point between the overlapping disciplines of footwear and jewellery design. With heritage and history at the forefront, they poured their collective energies into this project, inventing new styles and reimagining old ones. L’Atelier Nawbar’s exquisite jewellery is often defined by an undercurrent of mysticism. This otherworldly energy is very much present in the collection, taking the form of a recurring celestial motif: shimmering stars and golden suns appear throughout, alluding to their founding principle of ‘meaning beyond what the eye meets.’
“L’Atelier Nawbar are the absolute best at what they do, and it was a real privilege to be able to work with them,” explains Malones Souliers Founder and Creative Director, Mary Alice. “Studying their signature pieces opened the door for us to rethink our entire approach. Shoe design certainly has things in common with jewellery making, but it’s the differences that made this a thrilling collaboration. Naturally, the results are quite ornate, with something of a cosmic theme running through the whole project. It’s something we’re immensely proud of, and we can’t wait to share it with the world.”
"When we began working on this collaboration, we were in the middle of a lockdown, so it came at the right time and gave us a sense of excitement to start working on something new during those difficult times. It also allowed us to imagine getting dressed up again and life going back to normal, something we were definitely in need of! As we began discussing the collaboration, we came to see that we are both trendy modern brands with a timeless feel, so this collaboration felt right for us. Fast forward to working on the collaboration with the Malone Souliers team, we were pleased to work with like minded people where we saw eye to eye throughout the process. We were able to stay true to our signature use of color and fun while creating the pieces. We love the final product, we think it's timeless and wearable, and we can't wait to see our signature pieces being used in another manner blown up and ready to adorn the feet of trendy women worldwide" said Tania and Dima Nawbar, Creative Directors.
The L’Atelier Nawbar for Malone Souliers’ collection will be available online and at our Mount Street store, launching on 1st December, 2022.
