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You might have noticed that cult espadrille brand Soludos was suddenly everywhere about two years ago. Since launching in 2010, the company founded by London-born, New York-based Nick Brown has collaborated with everyone from Mara Hoffman to J.Crew. How did Nick and his team create unique collections with such a range of brands in such a short amount of time? Apparently that's where a versatile product and three different Opening Ceremony capsule collections gets you.
After first working with OC, "who always try to design the unexpected" with "fabrics or prints you'd never think to use on an espadrille," according to Nick, J.Crew approached him for an extensive collaboration that included the retailer's own simple yet bold versions ("For them, a neon pink is a neutral!"). That then led to exclusive styles at J.Crew offshoots Crewcuts and Madewell, which launched just a few weeks ago. Whew. Does Nick ever take vacation? Answer: Yes. Does he wear Soludos on them? Answer: Also yes, for better or for worse. Here's the only place it's probably not advisable to wear a Soludos as told by Soludos' founder:
I put them on for about 30 minutes at Glastonbury, which is a music festival that's about three times the size of Coachella. And you know, in England it tends to rain for about 30 minutes and then clear up, and then in an hour it'll rain again. So they looked great for about five minutes, and after, they were absolutely unrecognizable. They looked like two clay pots. ...The music was really good though.Luckily for Soludos, it's the dry US summers that make them such a great warm-weather choice. And really, most anything is better than a flip-flop.
Look for new lace-up and low-cut feminine styles—now shoppable!—at Soludos.com, along with their latest collaborative venture with the print superstars of LaLesso. Each range in price from $36 to $65.
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