Upcycling, Streetwear, Footwear - and How Fur Fits In
The incorporation of fur to mass-produced, accessible footwear, and what that means for a new luxury market.
I’m a longtime appreciator of streetwear. Not strictly in terms of the way it has translated into everyday athleisure, but the cultural impact, and upward mobility of streetwear as a status symbol has captivated my attention for some time. I love the idea that something commonplace, mass-produced, and accessible can also be considered luxury, an idea which has taken hold more prominently with the more recent deconstruction and repurposing of luxury goods to make diverse products. The idolization of streetwear brands has run parallel to my process of juxtaposing high and low, new and old, and traditional methods with unconventional materials, which is how I have come to identify myself as an artist, maker, designer.
Recently I have been working on developing my own hybridized version of streetwear - taking americana staples such as Levi’s trucker jackets and mixing them with furs to create a custom form of luxury unique to every piece, and my label. As each jacket has undergone the process from design to fruition, I had the constant urge to develop something new, and explore territory new to myself. Footwear is something I have long wanted to experiment with - durable and practical footwear, specifically. A personal favorite is the Adidas Adilette slide. From a design perspective, it is relatively everyday functional - not unlike the ballet flat to Claire McCardell. But the design also enables modification; it’s streamlined silhouette allows for adaptation to take place.
The process of working with fur in garments takes an incredible amount of patterning, and incorporating fur into the design of the Adidas Adilette is no different. From using masking tape to create a traditional mold and pattern of the shoe, I was able to draft a pattern with sizing to accommodate the fur. Unlike stitching fur for garment, the fur for shoe purposes needed quite a bit of preparation, including shearing. My first pair of Adidas Adilette slides feature a luxurious Golden Island fox fur, which needed special care at the edges to ensure proper attachment.
The process of working with my first pair of footwear also introduced me to new methods and materials - specifically glues and adhesives that work with both leather, hides, and synthetics. It quickly became very clear how important it is to have the right tools, especially when working with dense fur.
After several hours of hands-on help from Sarwarish, a shoemaker from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, my Golden Island fox fur x Adidas Adilette sandals are totally finished! It was such a rewarding process to engage with new materials and methods, but also to be a student in a new discipline, and apply my knowledge as a maker to a new experience. I’ll definitely be adding these, as well as other color ways and styles to the shop - something to keep an eye out for as I become more interested in custom work and approaching streetwear, upcycling, customization further.