Rachel Roy
Designer Rachel Roy is no stranger to the footwear game. Rachel Rachel Roy, her lower-priced line for Macy’s, has been offering sandals, pumps, boots and more since 2009, but this month you’ll be able to snag shoes from her designer label, Rachel Roy Collection.
Inspired by mentor and collaborator Manolo Blahnik (who has been crafting the shoes for Roy’s runway shows for the past six years), Roy is releasing her own line of shoes to accompany her fall 2012 collection.
Like her ready-to-wear collection, the footwear collection is designed to be textural, classic and striking all at once. The debut collection features everything from wear-with-everything suede pumps ($225-250) to motorcycle-inspired boots ($495) and statement-making heeled oxfords ($295). It’s not hard to imagine Roy herself, a street-style favorite for her love of turbans, pajama dressing and more, wearing each and every one.
Roy says she’s been plotting the shoe launch for almost seven years, but it wasn’t until now that she felt confident enough to release the full collection. Like her clothing, which she describes as “classics with a twist.” The shoes have recognizable shapes, but feature polka dots, pony hair, gingham, brouging and more. Details are done in a combination of tanned leathers, exotic skins and a mix of patent and box leathers so that each feature can be seen — a Blahnik signature she’s incorporated into many of her styles.
Rachel Roy footwear collection
The shoe launch marks another step towards expansion for the Rachel Roy line. For holiday 2011, Roy released a limited-edition makeup palette which was also sold exclusively at Macy’s. She’s also had collaborations for her Rachel Rachel Roy line. New York Knicks center Amar’e Stoudemire, model Jessica Stam and R&B singer Estelle have all worked with Roy for one-off collections for her Macy’s label. The shoe line, however, won’t be just a one-time release.
Rachel Roy footwear collection
In 2008, the Jones Group acquired a 50% stake in the Rachel Roy company, which led many to believe that a shoe line would be forthcoming, especially since the Jones Group was aggressively expanding its other brands.
With her shoe line planted firmly for fall, what’s next? Roy said she’s definitely interested in expanding even further. Of course, handbags and more accessories wouldn’t be a stretch, but the designer also told FTD that she would love to expand the Rachel Roy brand into home goods and fragrance. While she couldn’t confirm when any of those projects would be coming to retail, she is working to release a project with an unlikely fan of fashion.
In a collab with the Web site Ahalife, Roy and spiritual guru Deepak Chopra are releasing a line of T-shirts that blend inspiration from the writer with the look of vintage tees. Proceeds from that collection will benefit the Chopra Foundation, which supports education in India (Roy herself is half Indian). How did that unexpected collaboration come about? Via Twitter, of course. It is 2012, after all.
The Rachel Roy Footwear Collection is available now at www.rachelroy.com
Photos courtesy WWD and Rachel Roy
