Missoni Introduces Sustainable Sneakers
MILAN — Missoni wants its slice of the desirable sneaker business.
In keeping with the current strategy aimed at refreshing the image of the brand and making it more relevant among the young generations, the Italian luxury company is launching its first collection of sustainable sneakers.
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Missoni teamed up with Milan-based footwear start-up, ACBC — the acronym stands for Anything Can Be Changed — that is specialized in the production of eco-friendly shoes. The company, which was established by chief executive officer Gio Giacobbe and creative director Edoardo Iannuzzi in 2017 via Kickstarter, already collaborated with the likes of Giorgio Armani’s EA7, Alice + Olivia, Love Moschino and Save the Duck.
Produced in Italy using sustainable materials crafted from wheat straw and recycled plastic bottles, Missoni’s new sneaker line reflects the aesthetic of the fashion house through a mix of bright colors, vibrant graphic patterns and knit inserts.
“We have finally found a partner that does business in full respect of sustainability’s values,” said Missoni CEO Livio Proli, who joined the brand in May 2020, lauding “the best balance between Missoni’s aesthetic codes and the Made in Italy eco-friendly footwear manufacturing technology in order to fully express our continuous attention to beauty, style and quality.”
The Missoni sneaker line will be available at Missoni and ACBC physical and online stores starting from September at retail prices ranging from 265 euros to 395 euros.
Under the guidance of Proli, Missoni, which in 2018 received an investment from FSI, the Italian fund that acquired a 41.2 percent stake in the family-owned firm, is going through a reorganization, also aimed at alleviating the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on the brand.
As reported, Missoni, which froze the M Missoni line that was designed by Margherita Maccapani Missoni, has announced that longtime creative director Angela Missoni, the daughter of founders Ottavio and Rosita Missoni, was stepping down from her role, while remaining as president of the fashion house. She was succeeded at the helm of the women’s line by her right arm, Alberto Caliri, who made his debut as creative director with the resort 2022 collection. The men’s line, which was previously designed by Angela Missoni, is now creatively led by a design team. As Proli said in an interview with WWD, his goal is to maintain the high-end luxury positioning of the brand, while expanding the collections with a more extensive range of products, including entry-price items such as sneakers.
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