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Stuart Weitzman has teamed up with women’s empowerment and ethical fashion nonprofit Mercado Global to create a limited-edition ikat print jacquard fabric for a selection of the footwear brand’s spring 2024 sandal silhouettes.
According to the Tapestry-owned shoe company, the limited-edition ikat print jacquard fabric featured in the sandal range is created by Indigenous women artisans in Guatemala. The company said in a statement that the move to incorporate textiles made by Indigenous artisanal communities in Latin America into luxury pieces represents a “powerful step” towards a future where ethical production methods and elevated design seamlessly intertwine in the fashion industry.
To create the fabric, the process starts with the artisans dyeing specific areas of the yarn with the resist-dyeing technique, in which specific sections of the yarn are tightly bound before dyeing to create a distinctive pattern, the company said. The yarn is then crafted by the artisans using a loom.
The fabric will be featured on Stuart Weitzman’s Flat Slide, which features a triple vamp strap design and is adorned with a bow accent; the Block-Heel Slide, which is designed with a triple-strap vamp detailed with a bow adornment and set on a 45-mm block heel; and the Fisherman Sandal, which is a reimagination of the classic design made with bow adornments, a lug sole and a 25-mm block heel.
The ikat jacquard will also be included on the brand’s Espadrille Wedge, which features crossover straps adorned with a structured bow detail and a lightweight, 80-mm jute-wrapped wedge, and the Minimalist Wedge, which is crafted with a low-cut vamp and set on a lightweight, 60-mm jute-wrapped wedge. Both of these styles will be exclusively sold at Nordstrom.
Ruth Alvarez-DeGolia, founder and executive director of Mercado Global, said in a statement that its partnership with Stuart Weitzman not only provides work opportunities to women artisans in Guatemala, but it also brings the cultural significance of traditional Latin American handmade textiles to the forefront. “It celebrates and helps further preserve a centuries-old tradition, and we are thrilled to be able to bring this history of craftsmanship to Stuart Weitzman’s own storied history of craftsmanship in luxury footwear,” Alvarez-DeGolia said.
Giorgio Sarné, chief executive officer and brand president of Stuart Weitzman, added: “As a global brand that stands for uplifting women around the world, Stuart Weitzman is proud to partner with Mercado Global and support the empowerment of Indigenous women artisans in Guatemala to make meaningful change in their communities.”
The new styles are available to shop on stuartweitzman.com, in select Stuart Weitzman boutiques around the globe and in select Saks Fifth Avenue and Nordstrom locations.
