MANILA, Philippines — Two important brands, Melissa and Jean Paul Gaultier, have been collaborating for 40 years now, and to celebrate the 40th anniversary of their partnership, they have joined hands once again to launch their newest capsule collection.
The new collaboration draws references from the punk universe and striking features of the French stylist’s past creations for the Brazilian footwear brand, Melissa.
The partnership began in 1983, when Melissa was only four years old, with the launch of a sneaker with an open design debuting in Melissa’s portfolio of partnerships. The collaboration was one of the forerunners in the partnership model—a national fashion creation with relevant names in the world of fashion, art and design.
The two collaborated again in 1986, which yielded two sandals, a platform and a version without heels. The partnership returned in the 2000s with the arrival of two more shapes. In 2009, at Melissa’s 30th anniversary event, a new shoe called Melissa Et Circenses + Jean Paul Gaultier was presented. A sandal with a thin heel and thin plastic straps in different opaque and transparent textures, it was officially launched in 2010. A year later, the Melissa Mesh Pump + Jean Paul Gaultier found its place in the Melissa collection. It is a pointed toe boot with high heels, a small opening in the front and a barrel with a hollow design.
The new 2023 capsule collection features two irreverent and daring models, unprecedented among Melissa's creations, as shown in the campaign developed by French artist Jean-Vincent Simonet. The highlight of the collection, Melissa Punk Love Pump + Jean Paul Gaultier, unites romantic gothic, light punk and 80's hardcore in a heeled pump with an exceptional design. This style plays with metallic spikes on the straps that draw up to the upper part of the foot.
Melissa Becky Punk Love + Jean Paul Gaultier is a creative reinterpretation of the brand's classic platform under the aesthetic gaze of the Enfant Terrible brand, as Gaultier is best known in the fashion world. Five thin strips of transparent plastic are adorned with studded metallic spikes, imprinting the personality of the French brand with an edgy fashionable touch.
In both models, the punk attitude is dissolved in romanticism through a color palette that, in addition to the classic black, comes in pink, white, and lilac.
Melissa + Jean Paul Gaultier shoes are made from Melflex, Melissa's proprietary material, which is vegan, 100% recyclable, and has an average of 30% recycled material in its composition, with soles made of E.V.A. This extremely light material guarantees comfort with any look.
With the launch of the 2023 iteration, a total of seven products makes up the history of the collaboration between Melissa and Jean Paul Gaultier. The 40th anniversary of the collaboration celebrates the influence of Melissa's Brazilian design and technology and its impact to the world.