Now we have a new headline. It’s hard to imagine that many colourful Crocs have trod the halls of Buckingham Palace, but for this week’s Order of Merit luncheon – hosted for the first time by King Charles – the once maligned slip-on shoe now beloved by A-listers including Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, Kendall Jenner and FKA Twigs – made a surprise appearance.
When getting dressed for the formal lunch, the 85-year-old artist David Hockney opted for a striking plaid suit and checkerboard tie, worn with Crocs in an uplifting paintbox shade of yellow that evoked his own landscapes. In official photos from the event, his clogs are a splash of colour in a sea of shiny black lace-ups.
A brief history of the rise of the Croc from orthopaedic ugly shoe favoured by chefs and surgeons to acceptable formal wear. Back in 2016, Christopher Kane collaborated with the brand for his spring/summer 2017 collection, and made the practical rubber clog runway ready. The following year Balenciaga unveiled a platform iteration at Paris Fashion Week. Its lustre only increased when the pandemic hit four years later, as its mixture of fashion cachet and comfort chimed perfectly with the national mood.
During the lockdown, Nicholas Braun, aka Cousin Greg on Succession, wore a navy Paul Smith suit and Crocs to Zoom into the Emmys from home, while Questlove has sported them IRL to both the 2021 and 2022 Oscars.
First the runway, then the red carpet, and now – with a little help from Hockney – royal circles. The nifty gardening clog met with the approval of the famously green-fingered King Charles, who exclaimed: “Your yellow galoshes! Beautifully chosen”, when he caught sight of the artist’s unconventional footwear. Perhaps when His Majesty is next strolling the grounds of Balmoral or Dumfries House, he’ll swap his trusty Wellingtons for something more striking – and slip-on.
No comments:
Post a Comment