Christopher Kane x Crocs
“There’s no such thing as good or bad taste, it’s just different.”
This is something Christopher Kane was told in his Central Saint Martins days by Louise Wilson, Christopher Kane’s professor and also one of his biggest influences both in his life and his career.
If you have been following Christopher Kane’s designs over the last decade, you will see many examples of his provocative and often unexpected combinations. One such example is his current collaboration with Crocs, which we have now seen in three collections, Spring Summer 2017, Pre-fall 2017 and now Autumn Winter 2017.
And I can confirm, this is definitely the first time that Crocs have appeared on a designer runway, and, I’m sure you don’t need any help in imagining the outrage that ensued amongst the fashion crowd. How could it be, that such an ugly, clunky, shoe which might I add, are very popular amongst chefs and children, thanks to their comfort and durability, is being worn, by a model, on a runway, during LONDON FASHION WEEK. Well...
The thing I have noticed with fashion is that, almost everything that shocks you and is ugly at first, goes through something called the 'fashion phases'. The more you see them, the many phases it goes through, the more you get used to them and then you start to like them and maybe even love them. At the end of the cycle, you can’t remember ever not liking them. You know, just like the mighty Birkenstocks. The Birkenstocks were not a fashion item until in 2012, Phoebe Philo put them in the Celine, Spring 2013, Paris runway. The fashion crowd had the same reaction to the Birkenstock that they are having to the Crocs, and I bet you anything, there is not a fashion person alive today that doesn’t own (or doesn’t want to own) at least one pair of Birkenstocks today. So, let's check in again in five years and see if the Croc successfully passed through the fashion phase and right onto our finally happy feet.
In Christopher Kane’s Spring Summer 2017 Collection 26 out of 38 looks were styled with Crocs. Said Crocs appear in 6 colour ways, 4 having a marble effect and all bedazzled (embellished) with coloured stone jibbitz, all in earthy tones. The stones have been designed specifically for the collaboration, and the button on the heel strap is printed with ‘Christopher Kane’, instead of the Croc crocodile logo. The Crocs are for sale on the brands website for $560 AUD, versus the original un-bedazzled Crocs which are on sale for $49.99 AUD.
The recent Pre-fall 2017 Collection shown during London Fashion Week, features a new version of the Croc collaboration. This time in two colour ways, in the classic clog design and also what looks like the bistro clog and all versions are lined in mink.
Personally I have never owned or even tried Crocs on in my life. They’ve never had the appeal, plus they remind me of the shoes my aunt in Macedonia would wear to go and milk her cows. However, after all the time I’ve spent thinking about them, and looking at pictures of them online, I don’t really find them as offensive as I used to.
On their website, about less than a week ago Christopher Kane uploaded these three videos to his YouTube account. I think they clearly show, Christopher Kane’s playfulness and at the same time, the durability of the Croc.
Christopher Kane Crocs VS Hydraulic Press
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4lwPglpE5s&w=853&h=480]
“they are made out of really stretchy material.”
Christopher Kane Crocs Dissected
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tX4lQFoZRHE&w=853&h=480]
Christopher Kane Crocs VS Road Roller
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHmoS33PYKQ&w=853&h=480]
Fashion doesn’t always have to be uncomfortable but it can and will surprise you.
Buy/Look at the Christopher Kane x Crocs HERE.
Image Credits: Illustration by me Juliet Sulejmani, Photographs via Christopher Kane and Vogue Runway.