That true Scandinavian feel. We all know it, or have heard of it. Seek out minimalist furniture, roam the overwhelming landscapes, don monochrome garments or perhaps tuck into a plate of enticing forested cuisine. It all collides up here in the North. Nevertheless, surprising developments are to be found too. One thing these Nordic designers definitely get right, is their constant urge to innovate.
In this light, a unique connection was forged over the past year. Cue, the perhaps the little dusty and ergonomically correct footwear mastodont that is ECCO. These outfitters are present all over the world, providing shoes to the masses. Image and seeking out true contemporary aesthetics, never was one of their true virtues. In come, THE LAST CONSPIRACY, no strangers to these pages, with a clear and understated identity. At first, one would not put these complete opposites together. Yet, all it took was one single meeting for these footwear explorers, to seal the deal A proud collaboration, building on the strengths of both brands, was to be.
The result, is not what you would first expect. It is more. Without further ado, we caught up with Mr. Roald Nore, the ECCO x THE LAST CONSPIRACY creative director, during the recently held Paris Fashion Week. Bang on point and ever composed, he took us through the motions of his journey on the way to a self-acclaimed ‘’new standard of comfort’’. Walk on!
Roald, good to catch up with you. Could you tell us about what initially started this collaboration?
Well, it all began with a conversation, between me and the ECCO team. We simply connected, understood one another and moved forward with intent. Together with Einar Truelsen (ed. head shoe-maker of ECCO), we drafted some initial sketches. The idea was to develop a completely new shoe, nothing like the sneaker world had ever seen before. With such history behind them, ECCO is incredibly talented at making comfortable shoes, so I knew from the beginning that we could make something highly innovative, also from a design perspective. And, I truly believe we have done so with this new collection.
Next to their comfort, what about the technical construction of these sneakers?
This was indeed quite challenging, as we wanted to approach this from a novel perspective. How it basically works is as follows: the rubber sole is directly injected, which means it is directly steeped on the upper part of the shoe in a special mold made for this purpose. As this composite sets, it gels and integrates with the sole’s outline. Together, the flexible sole and resilient leather upper, make for a sturdy yet tensile shoe. This high-tech direct-injected collection was specially developed by their technicians and we were able to add our touch to it, by crafting the soles contour and overall aesthetics.
And when it comes to sustainability, something so innate to the Nordic mindset?
If you produce garments, design or footwear, you simply have to keep the environment in mind. There is so much wastage, and we choose to make a mark here. We cut all the leathers by hand and re-use any of the discarded strips. Then the selected slabs of cow-leather are 100% eco-tanned in an entirely chrome-free process, which makes it better for both the wearer, the environment and future generations. These styles therefore have an extra layer of sustainability. This new way of tanning, simply makes a difference. When I look at the footwear industry, we are one of the first who use this unique technique. If this has to do with our Scandinavian heritage I do not know, I think it more speaks for our sense of corporate responsibility. We always reflect before we act.
Does this also connect to the fact, that you launch these shoes for both men and women, seeking a sense of footwear democracy?
Indeed, I wanted to craft sneakers that are accessible to everybody. They work well on both sexes and because we toned down the design, they also maintain that sense of understatement, which is so important to us. Our work is not about excluding people, on the contrary, we want people to engage with these shoes, as they are made for exploring and interaction. Not matter where you are from or what you do.
And what about these black and white visuals?
For us, it was important to connect the visuals to what THE LAST CONSPIRACY stands for. We do not wish to shout, instead we like to observe and survey our surroundings. For the AW16 campaign, we kept close to our studio’s surroundings, shooting the styles in the old Filmbyen, in the port of Aarhus, East Denmark. We stripped away any noise and created this softly grey toned boxy space inside one of the studios. The idea was to direct all the focus towards the shoes, and let them speak for themselves.
So Roald, How do you see the next chapter in this collaboration?
As you know, we like to keep tabs on our surroundings, and connect with the Nordic seasonal shift. So we began to add some khaki, crisp white, deep black and hued grey tones to the mix. Together with the tactile stitched leather panels, textured surface and graphic frame of the sole, we are constantly fine-tuning the characteristics of these sneakers. For us, it is not about dramatic changes, but working closely together to make the most out of these technically advanced pieces.
Lastly, we have to ask: how comfortable are they?
Frankly, you should just try them (ed. Roald hands me a sample pair). What is unique, is that we worked with an interior padding system, so they support you as you move and go about your day. Add to this, the flexible and agile sole for balance and grip, and you cannot go wrong. This was the main thing we wanted to achieve, as in the end, real shoes are only as good as they are comfortable.
Photo: Mikkel Völcker
Model: Thor Snedker at Le Management
MUA: Louise Polano
