Many things come to mind when you think of Mary-Kate and Ashely Olsen: wearing black; venti Starbucks cups; their covetable, unbelievably expensive ready-to-wear brand, The Row. But not, we expect, flip-flops.
The usually reticent, camera-shy twins came out of hiding last week, photographed by Ethan James Green for a WSJ special announcing their foray into menswear. You'd think that announcing a line of 'sexy, high-rise' men's pants (their words...) would be the real talking point, but no, no. It was their shoes. MK and A, arbiters of refined taste, in the humble flip-flop. And just like that, the onomatopoeic orthopaedic nightmare has become haute.
Don't just take our word for it. The flip-flop flip-flopped onto the Spring/Summer 2018 catwalks of Michael Kors, Alexander Wang, Isabel Marant and Versace.
The street-style stars are making the case for the shoe as a conscious fashion choice too. ‘It was simply a matter of comfort. I had blisters on my feet from running to the Miu Miu show during couture season in Paris, so I decided to wear my flip flops,’ says Pernille Teisbaek. Karoline Dal, Blaise Dyer, Thora Valdimars and Federica Xotti followed suit at Copenhagen Fashion Week.
The style of choice? Hannah Romao, a Brazilian influencer, says that she was 'born with a pair of Havaianas on.' It seems you can't put a foot wrong in the brand's affordable classics. Now let's hope for an Indian summer, because looking outside, it's not the best time for the slipper to have its moment.
