Delving deeper into our joint collection with the visionary Lebanese jewellers.
More than eight years into our journey as a brand, we remain committed to exploring new territory. Working with a jeweller represents an exciting first for Malone Souliers, and it has given us opportunity to think afresh about how we adorn and embellish our shoes. L’Atelier Nawbar have been creating jewellery from their hometown of Beirut, Lebanon, for well over a century, establishing themselves as exemplars not just of craft, but of imagination, too. Their name alone conjures a sense of opulent wonder, one that is present in everything they make. We share their passion for beautifully made objects, and felt a collaboration was inevitable.
Working with L’Atelier Nawbar’s enormously talented team of designers and makers, we have created a capsule of shoes that reflects the meeting point between the disciplines of footwear and jewellery design. With heritage and history at the forefront of our minds, we poured our collective energies into this project, inventing new styles and reimagining old ones. L’Atelier Nawbar’s exquisite jewellery is often defined by an undercurrent of mysticism, and this otherworldly energy is very much present in the collection, taking the form of a recurring celestial motif: shimmering stars and golden suns appear throughout, alluding to their founding principle of ‘meaning beyond what the eye meets.’
The collection consists of five shoes: some familiar, some new. The Perla comes in two different versions – a flat slide and a heeled sandal – each with a glittering jewel centrepiece that demonstrates L’Atelier Nawbar’s beguiling sensibilities. The mesh upper of the Vanya mule is embellished with a stunning celestial motif, depicting suns, moons, and stars, while our iconic Maureen heels are reimagined in textural, glittering gold. Shoe making and jewellery making share so many exciting parallels, and a collection such as this is the perfect way to illustrate this.
In its earliest stages, this collaboration was born out of Mary Alice’s admiration for fellow craftspeople. “L’Atelier Nawbar are the absolute best at what they do, and it was a real privilege to be able to work with them,” explains our Founder and Creative Director. “Studying some of their signature pieces opened the door for us to embellish our footwear in new ways. Naturally it’s an ornate collection, with something of a cosmic theme running through it, and plenty of shimmering, metallic textures. It’s something we’re immensely proud of, and we’re thrilled we can finally share it with the world.”
A true labour of love from start to finish, we feel this collection is a perfect representation of both the Malone Souliers and L’Atelier Nawbar aesthetics. It’s a satisfying leap into new creative territory aimed at newcomers and long-time followers alike. The collection will be available online at malonesouliers.com, as well as in our flagship store on Mount Street, in the heart of Mayfair.
Shop the Malone Souliers x L’Atelier Nawbar collaboration.
