Japan-born, Amsterdam-based designer Teppei Sugaya’s work rolls an eclectic array of influences into one refined craft. His time spent studying in Japan, before travelling across Europe to work for various brands – from London to Italy – has resulted in an approach which lies between the eccentric and the honed. Sugaya’s latest project, beginning in 2021, sees the designer collaborate with Italian shoemaker Superga on the appropriately named ‘Artifact’ collection, which plucks details from the historic brand’s archives to formulate distinctive silhouettes which celebrate over 100 years of craft (‘Artifact’ derives its name from ‘artefatto’, which means the equivalent in Italian). A chunky cross-hatched bumper sole is influenced by their 1970 shoes, and the simple canvas upper maintains a relationship with Superga’s iconic 2750 style, in production since 1911.
‘Artifact’ by Superga
‘Artifact’ by Superga S/S 2022 campaign
The latest collection for S/S 2022 arrives in high or low-top styles, spanning earthy, muted shades (greens, greys) and more vivid flashes of orange, blue and white, while a hefty structure gives the design weight – as at home in rugged landscapes and dusty workshops as a busy cityscape. With a sturdiness akin to walking boots, paired with the minimalist approach echoed in Superga’s other collections, the ‘Artifact’ offering provides a change in pace to the shoemaker’s usual tennis-inspired silhouettes and canvas regulars.
The S/S 2022 release is a continuation of Superga’s celebration of over 100 years of shoemaking (in 1911, they began to create shoes in Turin with vulcanised rubber soles). In light of their age, the brand have dedicated a series of videos to highlighting international artisans in care of their craft. For this latest collection, a new video shows woodworkers Dru Plumb and Barnaby Ash of Ash & Plumb at work in Sussex. Turning wood to create classic, sculptural forms and stitching ribbons of leather into cracks in their wooden vessels; the film delicately draws a line between the crafts of woodworking and leather stitching, celebrating the production of objects with a story.
Watch the ‘Artifact’ by Superga campaign film below.
INFORMATION
-
This picky customer finds ‘perfection’ at Nipotina, Mayfair’s new pizza and pasta jointWallpaper* contributing editor Nick Vinson reviews Nipotina, a new Italian restaurant in London offering a carefully edited menu of traditional dishes
-
Giant cats, Madonna wigs, pints of Guinness: seven objects that tell the story of fashion in 2024These objects tell an unconventional story of style in 2024, a year when the ephemera that populated designers’ universes was as intriguing as the collections themselves
-
How 2024 brought beauty and fashion closer than ever before2024 was a year when beauty and fashion got closer than ever before, with runway moments, collaborations and key launches setting the scene for 2025 and beyond
-
Why the slipper is set to be this season’s definitive men’s shoeWallpaper* fashion features editor Jack Moss unpacks the rise of the men’s slipper, which looks set to become this season’s most ubiquitous shoe. Plus, five styles to channel the slipper’s louche elegance in your own wardrobe
-
‘There are no shortcuts’: Ten years of Hereu, the cult Spanish shoe brand where craft is front and centreDal Chodha visits Barcelona-based shoe and accessory brand Hereu as it reaches a milestone decade in business
-
Inside John Lobb’s sumptuous new Kyoto store, housed in a traditional wooden ‘machiya’John Lobb’s inviting new Teruhiro Yanagihara-designed Kyoto store is introduced with a series of images starring lauded Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda
-
‘Sensuous physicality’: Issey Miyake reveals barefoot sneaker collaboration with New BalanceThe Issey Miyake x New Balance MT10O is based on minimalist running sneakers from the 2010s, designed to replicate the feeling of running barefoot
-
These gravity-defying Santoni heels are a sculptural wonderA closer look at Santoni’s Victoria pumps, which are defined by the architectural rigour of their gently slanted heels – an ode to the heritage footwear brand’s roots in Le Marche, Italy
-
John Lobb’s ‘Cannon’ sneakers are an exercise in minimal designJohn Lobb’s sleek ‘Cannon’ sneakers continue the British heritage shoemaker’s foray into sportier terrain – crafted with all the precision of its classic styles
-
These innovative Dior shoes bridge past, present and futureInspired by an ornate Dior pump from 1962, Maria Grazia Chiuri’s just-released ‘62-22’ shoes give the classic design a futuristic update. Watch how they are made in this special short film
-
Givenchy’s TK-360 ‘single-knit’ sneaker provides a contemporary approach to savoir-fairePhotographed on a sculptural artwork by British artist Ewan Macfarlane, the TK-360 sneaker by Matthew M Williams encapsulates the designer’s contemporary approach to Givenchy’s historic association with savoir-faire and craft
