Anchored in emotional resonance, the collection draws from utilitarian and protective elements, merging them with soft, flowing fabrics that speak to the complexity of feminine strength. By refusing to confine itself within traditional gender expressions, SRVC champions a woman who is unapologetically both strong and vulnerable, urging her to embrace every facet of her identity. Preview the lookbook below.
The Collina Strada universe is a trippy, technicolor explosion characterized by outlandish prints and a radical sense of self-assuredness. The Collina Strada wearer can really be anyone, as long as they are open to embracing the sometimes weird, but resoundingly beautiful bits of life. Echoing this appreciation for the little things, Collina Strada produces all of its garments in the U.S., most commonly from reworked, deadstock materials. From recycled tees to delicate resources derived from the Earth itself, Taymour makes sure to imbue care into every item she creates.
This care extends beyond just the garments, but also into the way the brand uses its platform to push important social issues, advocating for a world where we all care just a little bit more — especially about the environment around us. Many of Collina Strada’s collections pay homage to Mother Earth, and the brand’s book, I Care a Lotta, traverses down memory lane to commemorate these collections and other brand milestones.
Flipping through it, readers are met with detailed visuals of past runway collections, exclusive pieces, and collaborations throughout the years. Compiled by Collina’s Art Director, Charlie Engman, it is a love letter to the spirited brand’s accomplishments and those that are still to come.
You can immerse yourself within Collina Strada’s chromatic universe by checking out I Care a Lotta on rizzoli.com.
“SYRO’s focus when creating heels in large sizes has always been to encourage and normalize queer femme expression for everyday life,” Henry tells me. “Since launching, SYRO has been embraced by many people of queer and nonbinary experience, and allowed us to wear shoes that help radicalize our identities.” Queer icons with big feet like RuPaul, Lil Nas X, Sam Smith, Bowen Yang, Bretman Rock, Troye Sivan, Bad Bunny, among others, have found a legitimate haven in the brand.
With its unrealistically tall stiletto heel, the bag stands as a lofty love letter to femme expression, power, joy, and independence, and a reminder that SYRO “has always been a brand for queer femmes, and violence, unfortunately, coexists alongside the beauty in our community.” Available in three colorways — black embossed patent leather, silver embossed patent leather, and raw brown leather — the design of the bag is both functional and camp.
Ahead of the release, we sat down with Henry to discuss the inspiration, process, and expectations for the launch.
What inspired SYRO to collaborate on a shoulder bag design alongside its footwear collection?
I was on 23rd Street in Manhattan years ago and saw an artsy middle-aged woman wearing a knee-high stiletto boot as a DIY backpack. I’d come across countless “shoe-bag” designs before but I’d never seen one that appeared simply like a realistic shoe being used as a bag. From that moment on, I dreamed that when SYRO could finally be ready to develop its first bag, it would absolutely have to be in the form of a realistic shoe. In partnership with our shoe technicians, the STILETTO Shoulder Bag was created utilizing footwear technology. The creative process made so much sense for us as shoe designers, and we are so excited by this design.
The stiletto has remained a charged symbol of sexuality, power, and femininity. How did the idea of merging a classic stiletto heel with an asymmetrical shoulder bag come about, and what makes it practical yet campy?
There’s really no heel that’s more feminine than the stiletto, but for many years the classic style didn’t feel aligned with SYRO’s mission to create wearable everyday heels. When designing a shoe to function solely as a bag, however, we realized we could create a stiletto heel as unrealistically tall and dangerously sexy as we desired; so that’s exactly what we did. It’s pure camp to rest your designer shoe on the restaurant table during dinner and it feels perfectly queer to actualize such an edgy fantasy. Remarkably, our size-43 stiletto boot is rather practical and can carry a lot. The natural curve of the boot fits snugly under one’s arm, while the zipper along the front of the shoe is easily accessible. Who knew?
Could you tell us more about the three distinct colors available for the STILETTO Shoulder Bag and the thought process behind those choices?
The maiden voyage of the STILETTO bag features three colorways: black embossed patent leather, silver embossed patent leather, and raw brown leather. In complement to classic black and brown colors, our silver bag is in continuation to the fact that SYRO has always been a silver brand. While the design of our STILETTO Shoulder Bag is utterly camp, our goal is to also establish its wearability and highlight its functionality by introducing classic colors.
The bag is described as a symbol of strength and resilience for the queer community. What specific design elements convey this message?
Before it was our new shoulder bag and before it was the ultimate feminine heel, “stiletto” was originally the name of a specific knife. For SYRO, our 115mm metal stiletto heel is not just an aesthetic choice but simultaneously a nod to the violence of the original stiletto knife. SYRO has always been a brand for queer femmes, and violence, unfortunately, coexists alongside the beauty in our community. We continue to face cultural, political, and physical violence as we live our lives, shine our light, and advocate for equality.
I know that the inspiration for the STILETTO Shoulder Bag is deeply rooted in a powerful story. How do you see do you see this resonating with those who wear the bag?
The dueling beauty and violence of the STILETTO Shoulder Bag is an intentional representation of the beauty and violence that coexist within the queer community. In November of last year, Club Q in Colorado Springs was subject to an anti-LGBTQ shooting. One heroic patron, Richard M. Fierro, tackled the shooter and put a stop to the damage. He described pummeling the shooter with his fists and yelling at a fleeing trans performer to kick the shooter in the face with her high heels. This horrifying scene has stuck with us through all of 2023.
Queer people face enormous adversity in this world and we unfortunately are often called to fight for our own protection. Any data dump around queerness and its relationship to things like bullying, depression, anxiety, addiction, and homelessness will tell a story of our disproportionate vulnerability. This past summer, right here in Brooklyn, O’Shae Sibley was senselessly killed in response to simply vogueing in public to Beyoncé. For the queer community, self-expression and self-protection go hand-in-hand.
As the STILETTO Shoulder Bag represents a fusion of fashion, innovation, and advocacy, what kind of response are you hoping to receive from those who engage with it?
Above all, the STILETTO Shoulder Bag is our love letter to femme expression, femme power, femme joy, and femme independence. The design of the STILETTO Shoulder Bag is fun and camp. We hope people will simply enjoy the whimsy of this bag. Use this bag. To hold your shit, and hold you down. We celebrate our community and advocate for our safety.
Owens was up to his usual antics, yet the message resonated differently, casting a fresh light upon his familiar courtyard. It almost felt like new territory. The blacks were deeper but not necessarily darker. The form-fitting fabrics were comfortably embracing, without constraining. High waists encouraged models to stand tall with confidence.
Nevertheless, a somber undertone still permeated Owens' silhouettes. The exaggerated arches of shoulders appeared even more severe, distorting the natural contours of the body. Collars extended far beyond the heads, serving as armor on a metaphorical battlefield. Some models had their heads sheltered under delicate layers of mesh, observing while remaining protected. Following the ensembles came last season's duvets, transformed and lined with strips of denim and mesh, followed by translucent trails that billowed like ethereal flowers in the wind. Owens' creations conquered not only the marble stairs but also mirrored the prevailing atmosphere of our contemporary world.
The Lord of Darkness has ventured into the light, embracing luminosity and embodying its spirit. As this chapter came to a close in the color of love, a hue also reminiscent of blood and pain, it whispered that pleasure could not exist without its counterpart. Owens voiced this promise in the most profound way.
