Denim adds an instant cool-factor to accessories this spring.
A part of the Gen Z-led Y2K fashion revival and brought to life in the head-to-toe denim looks that have become a signature of street style muse, Julia Fox, indigo accoutrements are landing across multiple categories and pricing tiers.
Collaborations are behind several notable denim footwear drops.
U.S. heritage brand Allen Edmonds tapped Raleigh Denim Workshop founder Victor Lytvinenko to remaster its Strand oxford in denim. As the second drop in the footwear brand’s Legend Series, the Strand Denim Dahlia oxford is made with a black selvedge denim upper sourced from Vidalia Mills in Louisiana. The shoe retails for $495.
“Exchanging black leather for black denim on a classically formal brogue created something unexpected, a more free approach to formal,” Lytvinenko said.
Miu Miu recently reimagined the New Balance 574 as $975 denim-clad kicks. The co-branded “Made in Italy” sneaker boasts raw-cut fringe edges and is available in “marbleized” cognac denim and indigo denim. The collaboration complements Miu Miu’s other denim sneaker, a $1,020 low-top lace-up adorned with crystals.
German brand Scholl Shoes linked up with premium upcycled denim brand, Re/Done, for a six-piece sandal collection. Made with Scholl’s signature wooden soles, the sandals are finished with vintage hardware, leather straps and denim straps sourced from Re/Done’s production.
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Loewe’s $950 sneaker went viral on social media for its soup-to-nuts approach to denim sneakers. The washed denim style has a denim upper, as well as denim laces and a denim-covered rubber outsole. The shoe is finished with rivets, buttons and wheat-colored stitching.
Adidas Originals released a denim Italia SPZL. The brand describes the dual-gender shoe as a ’70s classic with a “premium denim upper in a nod to an early 2000s version” of the sneaker. The two-tone shoe is made in part with recycled content from production waste. Adidas said 25 percent of the components used to make the upper are made with a minimum of 50 percent recycled content.
Urban Outfitters touts its denim kitten mule heel as “Y2K forever.” The pleated pointed-toe shoe has a frayed top line and a light blue lacquered heel. The shoe retails for $59.
Inditex’s Zara is in a deep denim cycle, rolling out palazzo jeans, midi skirts and denim trench coats as well as trompe l’oeil denim-print mesh skirts, slip dresses and shorts.
Footwear is part of the fast-fashion retailer’s denim effort. Last week Zara released a collection of women’s sneakers made with distressed and dark-wash denim uppers. Reminiscent of Diesel’s styles from the 2000s, the sneakers include retro runners, flatforms and lace-up silhouettes with rubberized toe caps and retail for $49.90-$89.90.
The casual kicks followed Zara’s range of dressier denim footwear, also retailing for $49.90-$89.90. Light-wash denim is prominent across the selection of pointed toe slingbacks, wedge slides, kitten-heel ankle boots, flat sandals and high-heel pumps.
Both footwear collections tie back to Zara’s denim handbags, ranging in shape from a simple flap shoulder bag to rhinestone-covered bowling bag. A mini top-handle bag features croc-embossed denim, while a crossbody bag is trimmed with silver studs. A rigid box style bag with a curved handle offers a sculptural option. The bags retail for $29.90-$69.90.
Australian brand Peta + Jain recently dropped a denim handbag collection with content creator, Em Davies. The collection features nylon and vegan leather shoulder bags and travel bags as well as a light-wash denim shoulder bag. The slim bag ($55) is trimmed with silver hardware and a removable chain.