Collaborations are probably one of the best sides of the creative industry. When two humans who have a strong and interesting vision come together and unite forces, the outcome can not be anything but greatness. Belgian designer Igor Dieryck and French footwear designer Martin Sallieres are proof that the creations born out of collaborative efforts can reach unexpected highs, like receiving a call from none other than the ever iconic Dover Street Market Paris to place an order for the shoes designed by both and that were part of an already laureate collection. The moccasins seen in Igor’s Yesssir collection have arrived to the Parisian boutique of the avantgarde concept store, meaning you can already wear them and be part of the history two of fashion's most promising names are creating.
With Igor we are already familiar with. We’ve talked to him a couple of years ago as a student in the Royal Academy of Antwerp, and we’ve witnessed him lift the trophies of some very important fashion awards, such as the three prizes won last year at Hyères Festival, including the Grand Prix of the Jury with his collection Yessir, and the Belgian Fashion Award as Emerging Talent of the Year. Martin has been making moves on his own as well as a highly praised senior footwear designer previously at Filling Pieces, a position that granted him recognition from the press and consumers, and now in the same role but at Sunnei, one of the coolest brands at the moment, while freelancing at the same time.
The idea of a collaboration surged in a very common way for people who spend a lot of time on their phones like our generations do, by Instagram. “I discovered Martin's work on Instagram. One of his prototypes caught my attention, and I decided to contact him. We had an immediate creative connection, and the collaboration felt very natural,” says Igor, and it happened at the perfect time for both of them: Igor working on his masters collection, still a student, and Martin wanting to feel again like one, as he lets us know. “I needed a fresh project at that time, as I was already working in the industry for some years and felt like experimenting like a student again, without thinking too much about commerciality and feasibility.”
The resulting product is described as a hybrid loafer that merges the elegance of hotel room service uniforms with the comfort of casual footwear, an idea that follows the inspiration Igor took from hotel aesthetics and the uniforms and work attire for his Yessir collection. “The concept of the collection is 100% reflected in the shoes. They are an integral part of it. We managed to play with the fine line between sporty and elegant design in the shoes, just as in the collection. Finding this balance is challenging, but you can really see both identities in the final product.” And its true, the concept of mixing such opposite worlds in a sort of evident way with such a sophisticated result that doesn't fall into cliches or a costumey vibe makes it feel as if this idea was waiting for them to take it and do with it as they wished.
Handcrafted in Portugal, the attention to detail is evident, and aside from the most visible parts, where the formal shoe comes on top of the casual, meaning to remind us of the uniform that is worn over our own comfortable clothes, Martin invites us to pay attention and value the hidden spots of it. “I'm really proud of what we came up with on the sole. Even though the idea is simple, it was complex to execute. When the shoe was designed in 2021, it felt new to us.” And it is new; the superior part of the layered sole, wider than the base of it, is meant to evoke the look of the stack of plates often found at hotel restaurants and buffets. The pictorial, shot by Sam Nicklin, captures this idea very graciously in case we missed it.
With this amount of work and unique concept, it is not a surprise there are buyers and industry people that would like to make it available on a larger scale, and after the collection won three prices at the 38th Festival of Fashion of Hyères last year, Dover Street Market Paris made the call that made it possible. “When DSM contacted me, I couldn't believe it. It's truly an honour to find myself, along with Martin, among designers I've admired for years,” says Igor, and for Martin, it was a big surprise as well. “Igor called me one afternoon in December to give me the news, and I was immediately thinking, “It needs to happen now!” and it finally did.
The collection is available exclusively at Dover Street Market Paris in four different variations, both high/low and black/white. One may think that for young designers, a jump to such levels of the industry to a world-renowned store may be intimidating or even hard to manage; luckily Martin had a good knowledge of the field. According to Igor, “thanks to Martin's support, this collaboration reached such a high level of professionalism. His experience really helped turn my not-always-realistic project into a desirable and concrete product,” and Martin confirms, “I always try to keep a good relationship with the factories and suppliers that I work with; they have been extremely helpful in the process of translating the experimental aspect of the product into a produceable shoe.”
The future is bright for both of them, and we hope this collaboration won't be the last. Given the results of this very first time, it would be a shame not to continue exploring ideas and worlds that could result in another great joint moment. “We’re really grateful for the positive feedback since the shoes launched at DSM Paris. We love working together, so who knows, you might want to keep an eye on the footwear at the show in October at Hyères.” And trust, we will be at Hyères, and we will keep an eye on it.
