British label Toogood -- founded by sisters Faye Toogood (famed artist and industrial designer) and Erica Toogood (costume designer, patternmaker) -- has applied its understated design ethos to everything from home goods to furniture to an apparel line that began as an artisanal affair in 2011 and continues today as more a line of more conventional high-end wearables. It's a good match to Birkenstock, no stranger to joint efforts, though this partnership with Toogood is an especially weighty affair, rich with bespoke garments, shoes and even a custom-made bed.
Experimenting with handmade shapes, Toogood's team utilized the art of sculpture to inform its design process, yielding three distinct sandal shapes -- the Forager, Mudlark and Beackcomber -- in puffy leather, soft suede, textural felt and rugged canvas. Two adjustable straps and the usual Birkenstock outsole appear throughout, making for recognizable shapes transformed by special textiles. Muted charcoal and black tones are interrupted by sunny yellow and pale white styles, which complement the hues displayed by the function-driven apparel line.
A natural extension of Toogood's in-house garment designs, the collaborative clothing includes revisions of Toogood's own Explorer coat and wide shirting, accompanied by a few new quilted layering pieces and pullover smocks ideal for lazy summer days. The co-designed bed, meanwhile, is a hybrid of both companies' cues, mixing the cork used for Birkenstock's classic footbed (also used as a base here) with a mattress and slatted frame that draw from the German label's comfortable, healthful spirit and Toogood's industrial bent.
"Birkenstock and Toogood is a combination of genuine craftmanship and uncompromising quality," said Oliver Reichert, Birkenstock CEO, in a statement. "The unique take and talent of Faye Toogood creates a whole new version of our iconic designs. We look forward to seeing what is the next level of functional design."
"To collaborate with such an iconic brand as Birkenstock has been an incredibly rewarding experience and one that marks an important moment in Toogood’s growth," continued Faye Toogood. "For me, Birkenstock represents comfort and timeless, recognizable, sculptural form -- all qualities I admire and strive for. Talking with Mr. Reichert, I found we shared so many values from high quality materials to manufacture."
The collaborative apparel and shoes are available on Toogood's website while the footwear and bed -- by request -- are shoppable on Birkenstock's premium 1774 web store. More stockists will receive the goods later this month.
Most recently, Birkenstock remixed its signature Arizona with 50/50 colorways and revamped the Arosa sandal for UNITED ARROWS.
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