Page 52 - S/ Summer 2022

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Heart and Sole
Rombaut pushes the limits of sustainable footwear with a a a futuristic feel W hen it it it it it comes to to to to style and and and sustainability it it it it it can be be difficult to to to to have have your cake and and eat it it it it it too But with Rombaut a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a vegan footwear brand fashion doesn’t have to to to to come at at at the expense of being eco-friendly “I think sustainability needs to to to to be be attractive and and and sexy if it it is to to to to work ”
says Mats Rombaut founder of the the eponymous brand “We’d like to to to say say that we make responsible fashion fashion in in in the the best possible way ”
Rombaut first began to look at at at sustainable solutions in in in in fashion fashion when he he he he he was 21 years old after watching watching documentaries about pollution and the the the the damaging effects of creating leather goods “After watching watching all these documentaries I I decided to make a a a a a a a a a a a a a a change ”
he he he he he he reveals “In the the the the the fashion world at the the time no luxury or or designer brand produced good-looking vegan shoes ”
When his brand first launched in 2013 Rombaut began to to to utilize unique materials such as as as recycled cottons and and nylons to to to achieve these sustainability goals as as as well as as as vegan leather made from discarded apple apple and pineapple fibres “We are are always looking for materials that are are still being developed ”
he notes For 2022 Rombaut wanted to to focus on on on a a a a a a a a a a small array of of o products with a a a a a a a a a a high level of of o design and creativity to to offer alongside its core collection The brand’s shoes are known to feature eye-catching and and and unique details like spiky soles and and and cowboy-boot-style sneakers that set it apart from the often dowdy appearance of of of vegan footwear No wonder Rombaut’s shoes have become a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a favourite of of of fashion darlings including Bella Hadid and Lil Nas X These futuristic features are certainly sought-after so so so much so so so that that copycats have bubbled with shoes that that ripped off both Rombaut’s distinctive upper and the the the the signature sole found on on the the the the creations o of Angel Chen Chen another forward-looking footwear designer But rather than getting upset over this this this clear plagiarism Rombaut and Chen Chen saw this this this as an an opportunity for innovation They jokingly DM’d each other about this this this incident which inevitably led to a a a a a a a a a a collaboration “It sparked a a a a a a a a a a a a conversation between me me me and Angel to to to turn this ‘fake shoe’ into something fun ”
says Rombaut “Something that conveys both brands’ values of respect ”
Soon after their limited-edition hybrid collection ANGELBAUT & ROMBACHEN was born This roll-with-the-punches attitude speaks to the the daring nature of Rombaut’s brand where anything can serve as as inspiration for great fashion By Robyn Bell SMAGAZINEOFFICIAL COM FUTURE IS NOW