Thankfully Martens – who is known for his experimental, hybrid approach to footwear – was on hand to make sense of the autumn/winter 2018 campaign for us. “The whole idea was to celebrate an iconic shoe through iconic art,” the Belgian designer begins. “I chose 'The Birth of Venus' as the starting point, because both the painting and the collection celebrate surfing on waves, twisting the expected and triggering the eye in optical illusions.”
And so, models Betsy Teske, Tess McMillan, Jan Trojan and Sami El Haddad moonlight as Venus, Omphale, Hercules and Apollo, respectively, in Ugg's extra-long stilettos, mules, coquette slides and triple cuffs. “In an era where there are so many capsules and collaborations around, I wanted to make a statement – no, a story,” Martens shares. “I never want to marry two brands because it generates hype.”
He describes the narrative as “easy and natural” because, for him, the impact lies in the honesty of both brands. “Ugg is such a straightforward, in-your-face shoe, and Y/Project is the same. We go for it, we don’t care about trends. Before everything else there’s a fun factor, there’s celebration.”
Nothing symbolises Martens’s desire to make “opulent and versatile” fashion more than his original proposition for the thigh-hugging shoe shape. “Why only have your foot in the nice hot sheepskin when you can have your whole leg encased?,” he first asked Ugg. And Ugg, the brand that was conceived to keep surfers’ feet warm after hours in the sea, agreed. Why not?!
Martens, who had never worn Uggs before, suddenly understood the popularity of the booties and the brand’s success story built on good, honest, fun fashion, like his own. Now he’s taking Ugg on its next leg of all-out, unabashed comfort. Ancient Greek mythology and all.
The six-piece UGG x Y/Project collection is priced from £195 and will be available for purchase at select retail partners including Browns and Mytheresa.com from mid-September.
And so, models Betsy Teske, Tess McMillan, Jan Trojan and Sami El Haddad moonlight as Venus, Omphale, Hercules and Apollo, respectively, in Ugg's extra-long stilettos, mules, coquette slides and triple cuffs. “In an era where there are so many capsules and collaborations around, I wanted to make a statement – no, a story,” Martens shares. “I never want to marry two brands because it generates hype.”
He describes the narrative as “easy and natural” because, for him, the impact lies in the honesty of both brands. “Ugg is such a straightforward, in-your-face shoe, and Y/Project is the same. We go for it, we don’t care about trends. Before everything else there’s a fun factor, there’s celebration.”
Nothing symbolises Martens’s desire to make “opulent and versatile” fashion more than his original proposition for the thigh-hugging shoe shape. “Why only have your foot in the nice hot sheepskin when you can have your whole leg encased?,” he first asked Ugg. And Ugg, the brand that was conceived to keep surfers’ feet warm after hours in the sea, agreed. Why not?!
Martens, who had never worn Uggs before, suddenly understood the popularity of the booties and the brand’s success story built on good, honest, fun fashion, like his own. Now he’s taking Ugg on its next leg of all-out, unabashed comfort. Ancient Greek mythology and all.
The six-piece UGG x Y/Project collection is priced from £195 and will be available for purchase at select retail partners including Browns and Mytheresa.com from mid-September.
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