John Fluevog and textile designer Zandra Rhodes have joined forces on a capsule collection that is slated to hit stores this Spring/Summer ’22. Mutual admirers of one another, John and Zandra have been circling each others’ work for years and were both tickled to finally be putting their artistic brains together.
A blending of a few of John’s most iconic styles with some of Zandra’s most iconic prints, the collection includes five new styles in totally original colourways almost guaranteed to make your heart skip a beat. Ranging from unforgettable Munster Maxes to whimsical Minis and even a fresh take on a classic 7th Heaven, The Fluevog x Zandra Rhodes collaboration has something for every lover of unique prints and soles!
“Working with the Fluevog team has been such a fabulous experience. John and I both developed our brands in the 70’s and the stories we have shared with one another from this colourful time have been invaluable to the design process of this collaboration. The collection encompasses the following prints; Wiggle Flower, Stripy Wiggle and Swirly Wiggle Flowers have been developed exclusively for Fluevog and have been adapted from my textile designs that date back to the late 60’s. We have had so much fun working with Fluevog’s iconic shapes such as the Munster and the Mini — adding a punch of colour and Zandra flare to make Fluevog pieces stand out even more than they already do!” — Zandra Rhodes
“I love the joy in our Zandra Rhodes collection. There’s an abandonment of ‘norms’ in the collab, which is so fun, Zandra has always had a joy of life in her work, which is something that can go missing in designer work at times. It’s been a great joy for me to be working with her, knowing that these amazing pieces were always going to be full of life. What’s it like to work with Zandra?…It’s as fun as you can imagine.” — John Fluevog
About us:
John Fluevog is an independent Canadian designer and retailer of forward-thinking footwear, who has been creating ‘unique soles for unique souls’ since 1970. His earliest customers included The Beach Boys, Alice Cooper, filmmaker Robert Altman and a slew of slightly less famous Fluevogers.
After spending a summer hitchhiking down the west coast witnessing the 1960s Social Revolution first hand, John returned to his hometown of Vancouver and began working for Sheppard’s Shoes. In 1970, he joined forces with fellow coworker Peter Fox to start up their own shoe store in historic Gastown. The partnership, known simply as ‘Fox and Fluevog’ lasted over ten years at which time the two split amicably, leaving John to open the first John Fluevog Shoes in downtown Vancouver.
By the late 1980s, John had started producing his landmark Angel Soles. Made from 100% natural latex harvested from the Hevea Tree, the tough, resoleable Angel Soles recite the now famous JF message engraved on the sole: Resists alkali, water, acid, fatigue and Satan. They continue to be one of Fluevog’s best sellers to this day.
In the early 1990s, Angels became the cornerstone of the Seattle Grunge scene, inspiring a new fashion movement consisting of flannel shirts and Angel boots by John Fluevog. Additional exposure of John’s iconic Munsters from Madonna, who wore Vogs in the film ‘Truth or Dare’, and Deee-lite’s Lady Miss Kier sent the Fluevog brand skyrocketing to international fandom. In recent years, John Fluevog has been using eco-friendly vegetable tanned leathers and water-based glues, reducing the environmental footprint of his production and keeping with his motto; good soles leave small prints (no matter what your shoe size).
In 2012, John was recognized by The Two/Ten Foundation of Canada as The Canadian Footwear Industry’s “Shoe Person of the Year,” and John Fluevog Shoes was recently named one of the world’s most innovative companies in the fashion industry by creative business experts Fast Company.
Traditionally made in old world factories, Fluevog shoes are produced in small runs, are fully repairable, and with their look of quality and timeless luxury, always stand out in a crowd. When you wear a pair of Fluevogs, you’re wearing 50 years of traditionally made untraditional design.
