In recent years, most major sportswear brands have become aware of their carbon footprint and are working to reduce it. The French label VEJA is, for its part, 100% environmentally friendly and has already seduced public figures. Today it unveils a collaboration with fashion designer Amélie Pichard.
VEJA is a French brand of ecological sneakers from fair trade. It was created in 2004 by François-Ghislain Morillion and Sébastien Koppest. VEJA uses Brazilian and Peruvian organic cotton for the canvas and laces, Amazonian rubber for the soles and various innovative materials made from recycled plastic and polyester bottles. VEJA sneakers are produced in Brazil in factories that respect workers’ rights. Thanks to its activity, this brand supports associations in Brazil and in France.
For this new collaborative project, VEJA has teamed up with fellow french Amélie Pichard, a fashion designer who launched her eponymous brand of shoes and accessories in 2011. A label that does nothing like everyone else, subtly provocative, avant-garde, that likes to play with clichés with humor. It’s one of the first to have worked with vegan leather, during a collaboration with Pamela Anderson, of which Amélie Pichard is a fan.
The partners present a comfortable and elegant sneaker inspired by the outdoors. This « Sporty Chic » pair carries the codes of luxury models and ironically counterfeits. It’s offered in 3 colorways : White, Beige and Black.
Made in Brazil, the sneaker consists of a stretch upper in VKnit 100% recycled polyester, woven in one piece to eliminate excess fabric and avoid waste. It sports a monogrammed pattern that nods to luxury brands. The pair benefits from a thin, round lace that wraps around the ankle and secures with an engraved Amélie Pichard circular lock lace. A heel pull and Veja’s TPU V logo emblazoned on the side heel complete the look. As for the composition of the other elements, the co-branded insole includes sugarcane, as does the thick and comfortable midsole in a shade close to the upper. The whole is based on an Amazon rubber and rice waste outsole, colored off-white for the White pair, neon yellow for the Beige version and Bright Blue for the Black iteration.
The VEJA X AMÉLIE PICHARD trio is now available at selected retailers like BSTN and online at the sneaker brand’s website veja-store.com. The price is set at 220€ per colorway and size runs EU 36 (USW 5.5 ) to EU 42 (USW 9).
