Named Woman of the Year, designer and architect Zaha Hadid has created a limited edition of haute-couture NOVA Shoes, in a collaboration with the always innovative United Nude. Discover more after the jump:
About the Design:
Zaha Hadid and Rem D Koolhaas of United Nude have launched a new limited edition haute couture shoe. The NOVA shoe combines innovative material and ergonomic considerations with the dynamism of Hadid’s architectural language to convey an inherent sense of movement.
“I could not resist the challenge to work with Zaha. We gave ourselves the greatest degree of experimentation and used the latest digital design and manufacturing technologies to create one of the most revolutionary shoes ever produced,” says Koolhaas.
Zaha Hadid explains, “I have always appreciated those who dare to experiment with materials and proportions. Our collaboration with United Nude reinterprets the classic shoe typology; pushing the boundaries of what is possible without compromising integrity.”
The NOVA design incorporates intricate striations juxtaposed with dramatic realignments, establishing a direct formal relationship with the shoe’s primary structure and expressing the dynamic forces applied by the wearer’s every step. A cantilevered system allows the 16cm (6.25 in) heel to appear completely unsupported.
Injection and rotation molding, as well as hand-molded methods such as vacuum casting were combined to realize the design. NOVA is the first shoe to employ rotation molding, the only technique able to create such seamless detailing. The upper of the shoe combines metallic chromed vinyl rubber and is lined with the highest quality Italian kid nappa leathers. The hidden platform and heel are composed of fiberglass and the outsole is made of rubber.
Project: NOVA Shoes
Designed by Zaha Hadid for United Nude
Website: www.zaha-hadid.com
