While some fashion collaborations are designed to raise eyebrows in the coming together of two unexpected brands, others make perfect sense. Case in point, a just-revealed partnership between Birkenstock 1774 – the collaboration arm of the German footwear brand – and Danish lifestyle label Tekla, best known for its cotton pyjamas and home textiles, as well as blankets, which have garnered a devoted following since its founding in 2017.
Both Birkenstock and Tekla value comfort and good, simple design – Birkenstock’s ergonomic soles have been refined since 1902, while Tekla’s offering is largely crafted from organic cotton meticulously stonewashed for comfort – all the while retaining a cult appeal, particularly among those in the fashion, art and design worlds. Both also value the feeling of being at home – the inspiration behind Tekla’s first-ever store, which opened in Copenhagen early this year.
Birkenstock 1774 x Tekla: ‘made for moments of comfort’
‘There is a natural synergy between Birkenstock and Tekla, with quality and craftsmanship central to what we do,’ says Christoffer Lundman, creative lead at Tekla. ‘We wanted to explore this further with a collection that looks at the idea of rest as a form of inspiration.’
First revealed in private appointments at Paris Fashion Week in February, the collection is designed to evoke a feeling of relaxation and calm – epitomised in oversized sleepwear, available in mauve and straw-coloured striped fabrics with gently washed finishes, as well as a monochrome style in slate grey. As with all of Tekla’s sleepwear, the various pieces – here including a kaftan, elongated long-sleeved shirt, trousers and shorts – can equally be worn as daywear, a fact attested to by just a brief wander down Copenhagen’s streets, where the brand remains ubiquitous.
It is the footwear, though, which will no doubt provide the collaboration’s most covetable spoils: a version of Birkenstock’s made-in-Germany Nagoya slip-on clog and Uji sandal, here reimagined with elongated straps and hand-stitched details. Matching the sleepwear, the styles will come in slate, straw, mauve and powder colourways. The footbed is covered in soft shearlings for ultimate comfort.
Birkenstock and Tekla say the collaboration is inspired ‘by ideals of contemplation and finding stillness of mind... pieces made for moments of comfort’.
“[The collaboration] embodies the feeling of home,’ says Klaus Baumann, managing director at Birkenstock 1774. ‘We share the belief that this is more than just a physical space but also a sense of comfort, intimacy and familiarity.’
The no-doubt sellout collection will launch on 12 October 2023 exclusively at 1774.com, teklafabrics.com and in Tekla’s Copenhagen store. From 17 October, it will be available around the world from selected retailers.
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