The esteemed architect Zaha Hadid has always defied convention, and her latest venture is no exception. In collaboration with United Nude’s Creative Director Rem D Koolhaas (not to be confused with his architectural provocateur uncle of the same name), Hadid has turned her attention shoes, haute couture shoes in fact.
Named the NOVA Shoe, the design is undeniably Hadid, comprised of futuristic forms, offbeat proportions and serpentine curves. By combining Hadid’s unmatched architectural eye with United Nude’s advanced shoe engineering, the result is boundary pushing. The NOVA is in fact the first ever shoe to use a technique called rotation molding, employed especially to achieve the shoe’s smooth and seamless surface fabricated out of metallic chromed vinyl rubber. To top it off, the platform and heel are crafted from the same material, standing at a skyscraper high 6.5 inches that is designed to appear completely unsupported due to an innovative cantilevered system.
“Rem D Koolhaas’ unrelenting experimentation at the cutting edge of fashion never fails to capture our imagination” Hadid explained. “I have always appreciated those who dare to experiment with materials and proportions. Our collaboration with United Nude reinterprets the classic shoe typology; pushing the boundaries of what is possible without compromising integrity.”
With a $2000 price tag, only 100 shoes have been released in each color – silver chromed, black chromed, and rose gold chromed – and are available for pre-order now at select stores such as L’eclaireur in Paris, and the Zaha Hadid Design and United Nude webshops.
Cover Image:
Courtesy of United Nude
