This 242-Year-Old Brand Just Had its First Paris Runway Show
Look what's haute couture now!
The fashion makeover of Birkenstock sandals has been going on for awhile (thank you, normcore, for making comfy, ugly sandals on trend!). But now Birkenstock is taking its fashion cred to new heights by staging a first-ever runway show at Paris Fashion Week.
The 242-year-old brand took over Tuileries Garden for a runway show with 115 Birkenstock sandals during Men’s Paris Fashion Week. Vogue reports that Birkenstock went all out for its Paris Fashion week premiere, with plenty of healthy snacks and beautiful people wearing Birks.
The brand seemed very low-key about its fashion ambitions, however. “We are not going into the arena with the big fashion brands,” Birkenstock CEO Olivier Reichert told Vogue. “We are just trying to open a space for the people to relax and have a drink. We want to join the family, let them check our new collection. But we are not on the way to push the fashion more—we are okay where we are.”
We learned two more important facts from Vogue's excellent Birkenstock runway show reporting: 1) shiny, baggy vinyl pants and jumpsuits look surprisingly good with two-strap Arizona sandals, and 2) Birkenstock makes beds using the same cork as its signature sandals, and they sound just as ergonomic as you'd imagine.
