The German heritage brand hosted its first ever event in Paris. The Spring/Summer 2018 collection was shown on June 24th in the Orangerie Ephémère, an ephemeral tent structure within the Tuileries Gardens. A wooden, meandering runway was raised at varying levels over lush greenery, creating a verdant greenhouse atmosphere.

Blending a static presentation with dynamic elements, 40 male and female models wore Spring/Summer 2018 Birkenstock shoes, belts, socks and bags, paired with looks that were tailor-made specially for this occasion, and styled by Mel Ottenberg.

For Spring/Summer 2018, the collection is centered around three themes: World & People focuses on cross-cultural connections, vibrant colors, embellishments and textured fabrics. Nature & Tech plays with organic and synthetic shapes, blurring the lines between the virtual and reality. In Past & future, minimalism is the driving force and earth tones mix with muted metallic, resulting in a sophisticated lineup.

Key design elements for Spring/Summer include the perforated leather footbed, rubberized leather, clip closures, subtle logo application, a super-grip sole, embellishments with all-over rivets, and the new metallic. The collection presentation was followed by a late-night picnic and party. Guests spilled out from the tent into the Tuileries Gardens to lounge on the newly introduced line of beds.

The presentation and party was attended by notable guests including Carine Roitfeld, Luke Leitch, Sophia Neophitou, Caroline Issa, Elisa Nalin, Sarah Andelman, Daniella Vitale and BIRKENSTOCK CEOs Oliver Reichert and Markus Bensberg. Attendees chatted and danced until late to electronic music by DJ duo Agathe Moujin and Wladimir Schall, before departing into the night with a gift bag previewing BIRKENSTOCK Natural Care products.

Says Oliver Reichert, CEO of BIRKENSTOCK, “2017 is a confidently dynamic year for BIRKENSTOCK with products extensions such as Beds and Natural Care launching and with the expansion of our footwear range. We continue to focus on innovation while maintaining our core identity of well-being, design integrity and long-lasting quality.”