Following a successful first collaboration, RAL7000STUDIO are back at it again, giving ECCO's comfort-first footwear a Milanese makeover using its futuristic design language. When we heard about the second collaboration, we went to check it out for ourselves, jetting over to Copenhagen for an exclusive first look.
When we arrived in the Scandi style capital, ECCO’s ergonomic, body-mindful design processes made complete sense. Unlike other fashion weeks, like Paris and Milan, people’s chosen method of transport for dashing between shows, showrooms, and the usual Fashion Week festivities is by bike, or walking, with cars being a last resort.
What do you need when you’re on your feet all day, every day? Comfort, quality, and innovation, which is exactly what ECCO brings to the table. And, when you’ve been in the leather footwear game since 1963, it makes sense to share some leading tannery tech with collaborators, which have previously included London label Kiko Kostadinov and Peter Do.
If you're wondering how ECCO and RAL7000STUDIO come together, think skate shoes that you can wear to go hiking, and you're on the right track. This collection sees the design collective incorporate reflective leather, padded nubuck, and soft leathers to create a premium blend of materials and solidify the shoes' luxury status.
RAL7000STUDIO’s second collaboration with ECCO sees the two brands work on a limited-edition capsule collection, where everything from hikes to trips to the office are catered for. Using an earthy and exaggerated palette, RAL7000STUDIO's future-looking design aesthetic intersects with ECCO's Danish heritage across four silhouettes: the COZMO SANDAL, STREET ACE SHOE, STREET ACE BOOT, and the ECCO OFFROAD BOOT.
Given RAL7000STUDIOS’s Italian heritage, they’re pretty well-versed in working with leather, but a trip to ECCO’s rural Netherlands HQ where they were given the tools to “experiment [so] much” left them “really impressed.” RAL’s first introduction to ECCO’s innovation was during the Hot Shop, where designers and other fashion professionals came together to see first-hand how they could experiment with ECCO materials. This allowed co-founder Marco Simonetti to “play around with leathers,” and laid the foundations for the collaboration.
We caught up with Marco and Michael Cutini for breakfast at the ECCO design workshop, where massive pastries and green juices set us up for the day ahead. Following a panel talk where the design duo introduced the sneaker to a crowd of footwear and design heads who were in town for Fashion Week, fuelling themselves on ECCO’s endless flow of cappuccinos and freshly squeezed juices, we got into the nitty gritty, unpacking the collaboration from start to finish.
For Marco, it allowed him to push RAL7000STUDIO’s material innovation further, but just like any collab, it was a case of push and pull. “We give them input and figure out what they can manage and do from a production point of view. We need to find a balance between creativity and feasibility. They’re quite open. They have their own tannery and technicians; they can do almost anything, and dreams can come true,” Marco told us.
The type of creative exchange that comes from this kind of partnership stems from a shared belief in the vision from both collaborators. “They believe in our team and our vision. Right now, our approach balances conservatism with progressiveness, producing casual products that still exude a strong character. We have many exciting projects in the pipeline and I can't wait to reveal everything we’re working on,” Michael shared.
The latest RAL7000STUDIO x ECCO capsule will arrive in two parts. The first instalment will give ECCO’s existing silhouettes a Milanese makeover, while the second will see RAL build on the archives to create something new.
If you want to get a feel for the link-up, just ask Michael, who, between bites of his Danish brekkie, summed it up as “Good vibes!”
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