United Nude, a brand founded by architect Rem D Koolhaas and Galahad JD Clark has capped off a stellar and eventful 2010 with a pop-up store opening in Miami. The year included the opening of flagship stores in New York and Shanghai, a retail store in Nicosia (Cyprus) and the brand’s second retail store in Guangzhou (China). The Miami store marks the brand’s fifth store opening in 2010.

The Miami pop-up store, opened in time for Miami’s Art Week, a week in the beginning of December with key art and design shows in the Miami area including the much heralded Art Basel Miami. The pop-up store, located in the Miami Design District at 161 NE 40th Street is prominently located next door to Christian Loboutin and Kartell’s only Florida locations. The Miami Design District, a real estate development is the preeminent design and fashion address in Miami and its creation is the product of visionary art collector and real estate developer Craig Robins and his Dacra Development Corporation. Other notable Miami Design District residents include Martin Margiella, Marni, Y3 and premiere Miami restaurants including Michelle Bernstein’s Sra. Martinez and Michael Schwartz’s self-titled restaurant.

The team from United Nude arrived in Miami on Thanksgiving day and quickly transformed the 4,500 square foot space in less than three days into an art-gallery/shoe-store in which United Nude featured shoes from their recent collection as well as photography from up-and-coming Chinese photographers in an exhibition entitled 5PRCITY. During a busy Art Basel week, the United Nude Miami store/gallery was extremely successful with a high level of exposure to many people who experienced the brand for the first time. Sales at the store during the launch week averaged over two pairs purchased per visitor.

The 5PRCITY photo project was initiated by United Nude. The theme ‘’Women & City-life” in China’s five major cities: Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Hong Kong and Chengdu. Together, this work forms a time-capsule of the China of today. Four of the eight photographers whose work is captured in the first edition 5PRCITY book are featured in this exhibition with and limited edition signed artworks are available for purchase with prices ranging from $800 to $3,500 a print. The four featured artists are: 223, Qiu, Quist and Yiki Liu.

The United Nude Miami pop-up store is scheduled to run into early 2011 with plans for a possible permanent installation being discussed that would include a rotating art-exhibit in the space as well as a retail store featuring the brand’s products which include architectural footwear and accessories.

Exceptional creativity and Exceptional compatibility, United Nude makes their second collaboration shoes for Iris van Herpen’s Spring Summer 2011 ‘Crystallization’ Collection.

After appearing in Vogue with a Mario Testino created shoot staring Lara Stone and hitting the streets on the feet of celebrities Kim Kardashian, Solange Knowles and Louise Rowe, it was clear that there needed to be a follow-up to this exciting collaboration.



The Spring Summer 2011 Iris van Herpen x United Nude collection will come in 2 versions of a sculptural high-heeled platform ankle bootie: the first, a complex weave of leather lace detailing; the second, elegantly draped with thin chains. The intricacy and precision of these creations require them to be 100% hand crafted in the most luxurious of leathers. The 100 limited edition pairs will retail at $995 and will be available in Black, Off White and Tan. Like previous Autumn/Winter 2010 collaboration, sold at the worlds greatest retailers such as Browns in London, l’Eclaireur in Paris and IT in Hong Kong, these shoes will be available at the world’s most exclusive retailers as well as United Nude’s own flagship stores in New York, Amsterdam, Vienna and Shanghai.

United Nude’s Creative Director Rem D Koolhaas reflected on the collaboration by saying: “Working with Iris and being an admirer of her work has been a real pleasure. The result of our collaboration this season is truly about facilitating her captivating work in fashion. Yet in the process the shoe that we together create is a product that stands on its own and gets attention for all the right reasons.”



Catwalk photos by: Michel Zoeter
For more information on Iris van Herpen: www.irisvanherpen.com

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For Spring Summer 2011, architectural footwear brand United Nude will unveil many new styles, updating existing concepts and will launch its first men’s collection. As always United Nude pushes boundaries and creates new constructions with the use of new materials. Here are some of the highlights:

The United Nude Abstract is a dramatically high heel with a platform base. Wood blocks that form the heel are connected in a very rustic and abstract way to form a balanced composition. The result speaks for itself; it is a piece of art! (Heel height 115mm = 4½ inch + platform)

The United Nude Haiku, meaning a short Japanese 3 phrase poem, is like its name a few elements that meet to express emotion. The simple and straight lines together form a harmonious and beautiful shoe. (Heel height 115mm = 4½ inch + platform)

The United Nude Spike is a shoe with the original United Nude DNA; a sandal with simple architectural lines where the heel and upper are as one. With its medium heel height (65 mm = 2½ inch) and ergonomically shaped foot-bed, this sandal is a very comfortable everyday shoe with a daring twist.

The United Nude Tangle is one of our new elastic sandals. A stunning geometric pattern of elastic straps in a multiplicity of colours covers parts of the foot in a perfect manner. This shoe comes in three heel heights: Hi (110 mm = 4 inch + a platform), Mid (65 mm =2½ inch) and Lo (18 mm = ¾ inch).

The United Nude Wedge is an elegant platform sandal, yet very comfortable with a soft foot-bed. The upper is an X strap with the straps slotting through the wedge platform. This shoe comes in both Elastic and Leather. (Heel height 87mm = 3½ inch + platform).

In addition to United Nude’s top international best selling shoes the Fold Hi and Mid, this season we introduce the new Fold Lo which is also available for Men. In summary the three heel heights are as followed: Hi (90 mm = 3 ½ inch), Mid (65 mm =2½ inch) and Lo (18 mm = ¾ inch).

The United Nude Hollow is the star concept of our men’s collection. This shoe combines an elegant classical men’s shoe with a hollowed carbon fiber heel and a leather moulded outsole.

United Nude Launches Men’s Capsule Collection for Spring / Summer 2011

United Nude, a brand co-founded by architect Rem D Koolhaas and shoemaker Galahad Clark in 2003 has been well known for pushing the boundaries of shoe design for years. The brand began with the launch of the Mobius shoe and has since developed into a well known architectural footwear brand for women sold in over 40 territories and 400 points of sale across the globe.

As United Nude has grown over the past few years in size and notoriety it became evident that the brand had almost as many male admirers as there were female, despite the fact that up until now the brand did not have any products for men. Listening to the flood of requests from our male followers , United Nude presents its first men’s capsule collection consisting of three key styles:

The Hollow, our protagonist concept launching the United Nude’s men’s collection combines an elegant classical men’s shoe with a hollowed carbon fiber heel and a leather moulded outsole. The shoe’s heel is prominent but not exaggerated and is true in its character to the architectural DNA of the United Nude brand. The Hollow’s suggested retail price is $480 / €370 and is available in black nappa leather, dark brown leather and black pony.

The Fold is a key style in United Nude’s woman’s collection. For SS11, the Fold features a new Lo heel height for women and introduces a Men’s Fold as well. The style is available for men at a suggested retail price of $195/ €155 and there are fifteen exciting colourways available. The Universal, like the Fold is a unisex shoe.

The Universal is just that, a shoe that can be worn by men with jean’s or with dress pants and can suit nearly every situation. The suggested retail price of the men’s Universal shoe is $185 / €150 and the style is available in four colours.

Architectural brand continues retail expansion
United Nude, a brand founded by architect Rem D Koolhaas and Galahad JD Clark opened a retail store in Nicosia, the capital city of Cyprus on the 12th of November, 2010.

The store is located in the prestigious city center address of Prevezis 11. At the store, United Nude presents their concept, theWall of Light™ as a key concept in a ‘dark-shop’ featuring architectural and conceptual footwear.



The Store Concept

From injection moulded shoes to high-end carbon fiber heels, United Nude is a brand founded on conceptual design, eleganceand innovation. The characteristics of the brands products and DNA are also evident in the interior design of the flagship store,designed by brand Creative Director and architect Rem D Koolhaas. The store is a “dark-shop” concept which means the store is completely dark in all areas other than those where the products are showcased and literally highlighted. The most important and prominent element of the store design is the Wall of Light™, a computer-controlled LED wall which displays the United Nude products as a work of art encapsulated in geometric frames.

At the store opening in Nicosia, United Nude’s Creative Director Rem D Koolhaas reflected on the opening of the store by saying: “After several strong seasons selling throughout Greece and Cyprus and the wonderful reception that United Nude shoes has received from celebrities, press and tastemakers in these countries it was clear that there was a good opportunity to expand the brand’s presence and the best way to do this is by opening a retail store. The location in the city centre of Nicosia, the capital city of Cyprus was so great we just jumped on it and I’m really proud of the result and the team that has put this store together.”

Open six days a week, the United Nude store is adjacent to Stasikratous Street, the most prominent street in the whole of Cyprus and located next to luxury and fashion brands such as Dolce & Gabanna, Louis Vuitton and Versace.

Up next for United Nude is an art-gallery/retail store located in the Miami Design District as part of Art Basel Miami. Further flagship stores for United Nude are anticipated to open in London and Paris in 2011.