The importance of family – blood and chosen, is central to ECCO. It’s not just in the way the well-loved Danish shoe and accessories brand was founded by husband and wife Karl and Birte Toosbuy 60 years ago and has since passed on to their daughter Hanni. Or in the way they’re set to re-open 16 flagship stores around the world to bring their local communities of fans together. It’s in the way ECCO welcomes others into their personal fold too.
Their latest appointment is the highly renowned and respected designer Natacha Ramsay-Levi. A native Parisian who has gone from intern to creative director of major fashion houses across her career, and has worked closely with Nicholas Ghesquière for decades, Natacha takes on the role of Creative Partner at ECCO. It’s a role that will see her create bi-annual capsule collections under her own name. What’s more, the first of her collections has dropped this month and comes with a campaign starring one of the most exciting pop stars du jour, set to be a household name, no less.
In one of the campaign images shot by photographer Sean Thomas, Pink Pantheress sits on the floor of her recording studio, trusty keyboard and best friend Bleona alongside her, both wearing red, vibrant rubber-look leather shoe offerings from the collection. There’s also moto boy and X games gold medalist turned stunt performer Travis Pastrana and his professional skateboarder wife Lyn-z and their daughters, wearing Natacha’s active shoes perfectly comfy for adrenaline junkies as they continue family traditions and quad through a skatepark. Japanese model, actress, singer and all-round it girl Kiko Mizuhara then rocks a pair of vivid heeled loafers that perfectly match her smoothie as she exits the car with her sister. The campaign is a celebration of the different families of the moment: who that encompasses, the innate connections and shared interests that brings, and the ways, out of love, we support one another.
Similarly, Natacha’s line isn’t looking to reinvent the ECCO brand, rather to add her own stamp to the legacy she has become a part of. “This is not about a designer coming in and changing everything,” she says in a statement. “It’s about highlighting what already exists with another point of view”. Taking iconic staples she elevates them into eye-catching, chic pieces ready for the street or the runway. Trail shoes become elegant colour blocked pumps and heeled loafers are made into standout statement pieces in hues of cherry red and bubblegum pink. It’s a collection that not only shows that Natacha fits right in with the ECCO history of making easy to wear shoes for all, she’s there to make this family brand continue to blossom and grow.
Shop ECCO’s new collection here.
Credits
Photography Sean Thomas
Images courtesy of Ecco