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.
-
Audi launches AUDI, a China-only sub-brand, with a handsome new EV conceptThe AUDI E previews a new range of China-specific electric vehicles from the German carmaker’s new local sub-brand
-
Inside Izza Marrakech: A new riad where art and bohemian luxury meetHonouring the late Bill Willis’ hedonistic style, Izza Marrakech fuses traditional Moroccan craftsmanship with the best of contemporary art
-
Clocking on: the bedside analogue timepieces that won’t alarm your aestheticWe track down the only tick-tocks that matter, nine traditional alarm clocks that tell the time with minimum fuss and maximum visual impact
-
Finest fashion moments of London Frieze Week 2023The best fashion moments of London Frieze Week 2023, from stylish new sponsors to happenings from Gucci, Thom Browne, Burberry and more
-
Manolo Blahnik’s Birkenstock collaboration unites the extravagant with the everydayFootwear legend Manolo Blahnik has teamed up with Birkenstock for a collaborative collection of day-to-night designs – complete with his signature sparkle
-
Jil Sander reworks the Birkenstock sandal‘We wanted to keep the essence of Birkenstock but we wanted to introduce new materials and play with the proportion,' explain Jil Sander creative directors Lucie and Luke Meier
-
Summer sandals for wondrous wardrobe precisionPut a sleek spring in your step with our edit of pared-back summer sandals
-
Birkenstock sandal redesigned by Central Saint Martins studentsBirkenstock takes a 2021 Wallpaper* Design Award in its stride
-
Valentino and Birkenstock’s camouflage collaborationThe Roman couture house and German lifestyle label unveil an army-inspired take on the Arizona sandal, stamped with a VLTN logo
-
Birkenstock strides beyond the humble sandalWe explore the 244 years of tradition behind German shoemaker Birkenstock, and hone in on how the brand's iconic cork footbeds clip-clopped their way into high fashion
-
The highlights from Pitti Uomo 94 in FlorenceRain was omnipresent at Pitti Uomo 94. The outerwear brand Herno celebrated its 70th year with a vast exhibition that began with an installation of a single drop of rain; MCM showed ready-to-wear and accessories in Florence for the first time in a dynamic runway presentation that featured a tropical storm. The red and blue carpeted catwalk at Paul Surridge’s debut Roberto Cavalli Menswear show was absolutely sodden, which added an eccentric mood to the otherwise fine, fresh clothes. After all, what’s summer without the threat of a downpour? Elsewhere, the classic brands who have built their heritage on modish, Made in Italy élan are having conversations about what they can learn from the advance of streetwear: it’s time for a rethink they say.
