What happens when Fidan Novruzova—one of the most invigorating contemporary designers, known for her extreme glamour, starchy leather boots, and beloved by everyone from from cool girl Dua Lipa to cool girl Jenna Ortega (cool girls unified)—applies her glorious brain to creating a sneaker with ASICS? Something futuristic, funky, and all Fidan. The designer stopped by to give i-D the exclusive on her new collaboration.
You’re kind of a shoe genius… Tell me about your thought process in making a sneaker for the first time. Did you find it challenging?
Fidan Novruzova: It was definitely very different from anything I’ve done before—I’ve never even designed a sneaker, much less reimagined one. Before starting, I thought it would be a challenge, but I ended up having a lot of fun along the way. I approached the concept and design process in the same way I approach my own shoe designs. When doing research, I looked mostly at leather shoes and historic references—not quite sneakers themselves. There was a bit of market research involved, as I needed to get a better understanding of the sneaker world beforehand, but I naturally gravitated back toward the references I always return to.
What inspires you?
I’m always inspired by 1920s elegance, the over-the-topness of the ’80s, and the things that land in between these two worlds. The brand ethos is a lot about taking this in-between visual language and reimagining classic constructions and familiar silhouettes through it. For this project, I was fascinated by the idea of adding a touch of our footwear identity to ASICS’ DNA, which is itself so iconic. This led to the oversized tongues with tassels, made by the same manufacturers I work with to develop and produce our shoes. The tongues are crafted from the same leather as our signature footwear, and the shoes themselves were hand-painted and customized in Paris. They went on a journey—from the brand’s beginnings with footwear to Paris, where we’re now based. I think it’s a nice representation of the brand’s evolution and the significance of our first collaboration.
I love how you blend so many different design philosophies into your brand to create this new world. Where do you see the marriage of fashion and sport going in the future?
I see the marriage of fashion and sport as a long-lasting one. The combination of the two worlds, especially the referencing of sportswear from particular eras of the past, is so chic, but also implies comfort. There are so many possibilities of mixing and creating new worlds. I can really envision this dialogue being a sustainable one, and lasting a very long time.
What’s your best sneaker take?
The 2014 Chanel by Karl Lagerfeld. And Raf Simons’ Dior couture sneaker era needs a comeback.