For the second time this century, the world’s most celebrated ‘Zandra’ and most famous ‘Fluevog’ have joined forces to create a Fall 2023 capsule collection that will stop traffic! Mutual admirers of one another, John and Zandra have been circling each others’ work for years and were both tickled to put their artistic brains together once again.
Leading the charge is Zandra’s iconic ‘Cars’ print, combined with John’s brand new, comfy and complex, Soul Speed sneaker family. Available in two incredible colourways, The Duesy style is the first sneaker ever produced by a Zandra & John combo and will be available worldwide on October 13th in limited numbers (October 14th in Oceania). Consider yourself invited to take them for a ride!
The collection continues with headbands, scrunchies, and scarves in loud and fashionable patterns on luxurious mulberry silk. Rounding the collaboration out is a belt bag available in black or pink, purposebuilt to John and Zandra’s specifications for their various pastimes of painting, drawing, sewing, gardening, and creating. These bags showcase Zandra’s iconic squiggles and come complete with a Wiggle Flower mirror keychain.
“Working with the Fluevog team has been such a fabulous experience. John and I both developed our brands in the ’70s and the stories we have shared with one another from this colourful time have been invaluable to the design process of this collaboration. We have had so much fun working with Fluevog’s brand new styles and shapes — adding a punch of colour and Zandra flair to make these 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, my dear friend, knowing that these amazing pieces are 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
The Fluevog x Zandra Rhodes collection will be available at Fluevog stores everywhere and online at Fluevog.com this Fall!
Key Facts:
ABOUT JOHN FLUEVOG SHOES
UNIQUE SOLES FOR UNIQUE SOULS SINCE 1970
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.
ABOUT ZANDRA RHODES
Dame Zandra Rhodes has been a notorious figurehead of the UK fashion industry for five decades, celebrating her 50th year in fashion in September 2019 with a retrospective exhibition at the Fashion and Textile Museum—founded by Zandra—entitled Zandra Rhodes: 50 Years of Fabulous and a retrospective book published by Yale. Her notoriety as a print designer combined with an affinity for fine fabrics and colour has resulted in a signature aesthetic that is undeniably unique and continues to stand the test of time.
An eponymous pioneer of the British and international fashion scene since the late 60’s, Zandra’s career has seen her collaborate with brands such as Valentino, Topshop and Mac Cosmetics. Continuing to collaborate with brands that inspire her, 2023 will see the colourful launch of the second John Fluevog x Zandra Rhodes.
