Updates
Fashion-forward Havaianas Turn Shiny, Shimmery
Badgley Mischka gowns, Shu Uemura’s limited edition eyelashes and L’oreal’s Shine Delice lip-glosses, have one thing in common-embellishments that instantly give oomph to your dwindling fashion streak.
This time, make way for fashion that is right at your feet, literally.
From the basic black and white to brightly colored and printed pairs, the best flip-flops in the world, Havaianas, introduce the Embellished Collection to our shores featuring Austrian Swarovski, Czech beads, semi-precious stones and delicate trinkets.
“While Havaianas have always been associated with durability and comfort, the Embellished Collection is all that and more. Each one of them features beads and crystals hand-sewn by Brazilian artists,” Anne Gonzalez, Head of Sales and Marketing of official Havaianas Philippine distributor Terry S.A., said.
Stones and Crystals
Czech beads, the most prominent among the new line are considered as one of Europe’s most beautiful and shapely material used for jewelry designing. The shiny, scratch-resistant beads that come in several colors have graced haute couture bags and gowns fit for the Red Carpet. Beads using the Czech fire-polished ones give life to otherwise plain chiffon, polyester and taffeta gowns that parade during special celebrity Awards’ night, both locally and internationally.
Inspired by the Havaianas pairs for Hollywood stars during the Oscar Awards 2005, the Collection includes pieces attached to the straps that are studded with Swarovski. These crystals are the leading choice for jewelry and for embellishing gowns due to their unmatched clarity, quality and brilliance. Celebrities Lindsay Lohan and Ashlee Simpson were seen donning the Swarovski sparkly pairs, while Paris Hilton was spotted on a shopping spree, which included the flip-flops in pink and turquoise.
Royalty comes with each pair as semiprecious stones, which were favored by Egyptian pharaohs as necklaces, abound the collection’s rubber straps. Turquoise, referred to as “pieces of sky” because of its varying shades of green and blue color, was seen worn by socialite Nicky Hilton and actress Ali Landry. Amethyst, Catherine the Great’s preferred jewelry circa Egyptian era, is one of the Earth’s beautiful stones due to its deep purple hue.
“Only the best materials were carefully crafted into each pair, guaranteeing the quality that Havaianas has always been known for,” Gonzalez added.
Celebrity Cult Following
Havaianas, which have sprung a worldwide trend due to its buttery-soft foot bed and durability, rose to popularity, thanks to the free publicity from celebrities who have become fans of the flip-flops. Brazilian model Giselle Bundchen, upon wearing her Havaianas backstage during a fashion show instantly caused buzz among the fashion world.
Later on, Julia Roberts, Jennifer Aniston, Naomi Campbell, Sting, Nicole Kidman and Gwyneth Paltrow among others were seen strolling the streets with their trusty pairs. With the sudden demand for Havaianas, high-end stores including The Saks Fifth Avenue, Bergdorf Goodman and Nordstrom have opened their doors to selling rubber slippers while fashion capitals New York, Milan and Paris have recognized the Havaianas as a fashion staple. Couture designer Jean Paul Gaultier even had 50 models wearing Havaianas parade during one of his fashion shows.
Today, Sau Paulo Alpargatas, the designer and manufacturer of the much-celebrated flip-flops, produces 125 million pairs per year, with over 2.2 billion pairs sold since it was launched in 1962.
