Jimmy Choo & Rob Pruitt Collaboration (Cruise S/S 2013)

I can assure you that just walking a few steps on Jimmy Choo’s new Diffuse model, and feeling the spell it casts around you, can be priceless. The seductive footwear and accessory label, founded in 1996 by Tamara Mellon and Malaysian designer Jimmy Choo, is one of the brands that has won over the most fans in the least amount of time. Since its creator sold the label and left the business in November 2011, in the wake of her success, the firm has soared straight up into the stratosphere: opening stores in the world’s most cosmopolitan cities, and bringing out collections in conjunction with avant-garde designers and artists, like the extravagant Robert Pruitt.

 This capsule collection, available at exclusive outlets, features 19 different shoe styles, as well as handbags and other accessories, made from unique materials, that have already become collector items.

“We are really excited about this encounter, since it reflects everything that captivated us about collaborating with Rob Pruitt: his energy, the way he uses color and the exuberant genius in his patterns and materials; there were items in his work that somehow reminded us of the iconography of Jimmy Choo’s designs. Cooperating in this way has seen some very original collector’s items come to life, combining Rob’s sarcastic sense of humor and Jimmy Choo’s emblematic glamour”, said Sandra Choi and Simon Holloway, the brand’s creative directors.

Jewel-toned rainbow gradients, sassy leopard spots, cool zebra stripes, colorful candy sprinkles, and glitter galore. No, those aren’t the components of a Lisa Frank sticker set, but rather the elements of artist Rob Pruitt’s Nicki Minaj-inspired collaboration with luxury brand Jimmy Choo. Pruitt also emblazoned his signature panda throughout — on purses, a scarf, shoes, and a key fob.

Pruitt explained the design process. “They asked me to do some sketches, like patterns and designs, and then we looked at those, and then we thought about how we could turn those designs into shoes,” he said.

The result is a playful 18-piece collection of shoes, handbags, and accessories that brings you back to your youth. It’s filled with glitter — a material often used by Pruitt and Jimmy Choo designers — as well as colorful degradée, French lace, and cartoonish angel and devil renditions of the artist’s panda.

Pruitt said that designing the collection was a breeze, thanks to Jimmy Choo’s creative directors Simon Holloway and Sandra Choi. “The chief designers of Jimmy Choo, Simon and Sandra, are so talented. That made me feel comfortable with all of my ideas,” Pruitt said. “If I were to try to design shoes on my own they would probably have been a disaster. But working with their guidance, it was just really a thrill.”

The feeling was mutual. “He’s been absolutely fantastic,” said Choi. “We didn’t know what to expect. We’re both creatives, so from an artist to designers. He was so accommodating on boundaries. It was wonderful.”

- Sources "Azureazure.com , blouinartinfo.com"

Artist Rob Pruitt

Rob Pruitt (American, b.1964) is a Post-Pop artist known for his take on youth and consumer culture. Born in Washington, D.C., Pruitt attended the Corcoran College of Art Design, and later transferred to Parsons School of Design after meeting and befriending educator and well-known fashion consultant Tim Gunn.

Pruitt came to fame during the late 1980s, along with his then-partner, Jack Early. Their well-known series, Artwork for Teenage Boys and Artwork for Teenage Girls, explored issues surrounding gender politics. Following the controversial show The Red Black Green Red White and Blue Project, which debuted at Castelli Gallery and focused on the marketing of African American popular culture to the wider public, the two artists split up. Pruitt disappeared from the art scene for several years, with many galleries refusing to represent his solo work. In 1998, Pruitt reemerged with his Cocaine Buffet at Gavin Brown’s enterprise. The piece, a sculptural work featuring a 16-foot mirror with a real line of cocaine running down the center, also proved to be controversial. The following year, the artist held his first solo show, 101 Art Ideas You Can Do Yourself, and, in 2000, became well known for his popular series of glittery panda paintings.

The artist has continued to build on the success of the early 2000s with other projects, including his Pattern and Degradation solo show, his "gradient paintings," and a 10-foot-tall chrome statue of Andy Warhol, which originally appeared outside the site of Warhol’s factory. He has exhibited extensively in New York and around the world. In 2013, the Aspen Art Museum held a mid-career retrospective.

Pruitt lives and works in New York City.

- Source "Artnet.com"

Video

Promotional Images




Pictures from the New York Launch







































Pictures from the London Launch





































Collection

"Diffuse"