Preview Prabal´s TOMS Collaboration

As Prabal Gurung teams up with TOMS on a new collaboration, we speak to the New York-based designer and the ethical footwear brand's founder, Blake Mycoskie, about how it will help to raise awareness and funds for rebuilding efforts following the devastating earthquake in Nepal, where Gurung was raised, last year. Preview the collection below. 

 

How did the collaboration come about?

Gurung: "TOMS was a brand we had always hoped we could work with in some capacity. I have always respected what they have done and the message behind the brand really resonates with me. I was put in touch with their team soon after the earthquake in Nepal through a mutual friend who does a lot of work for Nepal's healthcare system. He felt that the time was right and it was."

What is the secret to TOMS ongoing success?

Mycoskie: "The secret to TOMS is very simple, it's our community. We have a relentlessly passionate community that is more than just a core consumer, they are leading the One for One movement with every purchase. Our TOMS tribe lives with purpose and strives to make the world a better place for one another."

What percentage of the sale of each pair of shoes from the collaboration goes where?

Mycoskie: "Just like all TOMS shoes purchases, with each pair purchased, a new pair of shoes will be given to a child in need. We are also very proud that for each pair of shoes sold from this collection, £5 will be donated to Prabal's Shikshya Foundation in Nepal."

Why do you think it is important to have collaborations with leading designers?

Mycoskie: "We call these designer partnerships our "energy" moments. After 10 years of TOMS, we're in a place where we've established the TOMS brand as the leader of the One for One business, and these amazing designer collaborations help us spread the movement to audiences we may not have reached before." 

Prabal, you're well known for embarking on philanthropic projects, what made you want to get involved with this one?

Gurung: "I've always admired the TOMS model. They were one of the first to build a business on the concept of 'One for One,' which is so admirable and was very ahead of the times when Blake launched." 

 

Talk us through the inspiration for the designs.

Gurung: "We wanted to offer styles and prints that had a timelessness to them and really emulated our brand characteristics. The colours used, the graphic detailing, and the traditional and modern balance were all important elements to work into the collection."

Find out more about the collection at toms.co.uk/toms-x-prabal-gurung.