One of the most advanced collaborations in fashion today

Dutch fashion designer Iris van Herpen was the talk of the town during the Paris fashion week this summer. She conceptually pushed the envelope furthest with her ‘Capriole’ collection, while sticking to an unsurpassed level of craftsmanship. She also became an official guest member to the ‘Cham- bre Syndicale de la Haute Couture’, one of the greatest honors any fashion designer can possibly aspire to, certainly at age 27. Among its official members are Chanel, Dior, Givenchy and Gaultier.

All new footwear for Iris van Herpen’s show was again created in collaboration with United Nude. The designs were so intensely conceptual, that production was limited to the four catwalk pairs only. The curved heels took shape with computer aided design and were then by way of rapid prototyping printed in 3D and laminated with carbon fiber for strength. The upper material for the shoes, also used in some of Van Herpen’s dresses, was exclusively developed by Bart Hess.

Founded in 1995, in memory and spirit of the 1980 civil uprising of the Gwangju Democratization Movement, the Gwangju Biennale in South Korea is Asia’s oldest Biennale of contemporary art. The Gwangju Biennale shows contemporary art under a chosen theme, alongside special guest exhibi- tions and various performances.

Korean architect Seung H-Sang and Chinese artist and architectural designer Ai Weiwei have been appointed as co-directors of the 4th Gwangju Design Biennale. Eight curators and two designers have also been appointed for six major sections of the theme-oriented exhibition, and will be held at the Biennale Exhibition Hall and throughout the metropolitan city of Gwangju from September 2nd to October 23rd 2011.

United Nude takes part in Section one titled Named Design, curated by Minsuk Cho and Anthony Fontenot. United Nude exhibits some of their iconic shoes, the Moon Life collaboration shoe and the Lo Res Lamborghini series including a full size one.

On September 27th, United Nude opened its new concept store in Vienna. The new store, located in Vienna’s hottest shopping district boasts a generous range of celebrated United Nude products, including the unique footwear collections for both women and men and United Nude accessories such as the Stealth hat.

Reflecting United Nude’s flare for innovation, the store is a hallmark to the brand’s conceptual approach. The entire store encased in darkness where the products alone are highlighted in the exclusive computer controlled Wall of Light TM installation, presenting each shoe as a work of art encapsulated in its own geometric frame, while mirrored walls create the sensation of vastness and grandeur.

United Nude takes every detail seriously, from designing our products with cutting edge materials and technologies to their final presentation; enhancing the customer’s experience.

United Nude’s Creative Director Rem D said of the new Vienna concept store: “This store is actually the celebration of our success in Vienna, as we’ve simply moved a few doors down from where we had a store for nearly 3 years. The new location is much bigger then the previous and the shop in- terior now includes the Wall of Light for the complete theatrical United Nude shopping experience.”

The Lo Res chair is inspired by the most famous Verner Panton chair, which was re-designed through the semi-automatic Lo Res design process developed by United Nude. The Lo Res Chair will be made available at United Nude stores worldwide, at selected top furniture dealers and here at our online store.

The chair comes in plain colors, in carbon fiber gloss and matt finishes and can be custom finished as per request. Each chair is a uniquely hand moulded and hand finished fibre-composite construction, forming a light and solid object. Retail prices start from $1650,- a chair.

On July 20th United Nude opened their largest flagship store thus far in London. Besides the entire United Nude footwear collections for both women and men, United Nude accessories and the new United Nude Lo-Res Chair are to be found here.

The concept of the store is made with the very unique United Nude Dark Shop concept. The store's spacious feeling is created by big mirrored walls and the United Nude Wall of Light™, in which each shoe is capsulated into a grid of ever changing illumination.

When asked about the new London flagship store, United Nude’s Creative Director Rem D said: “Every time we open a great new store at a great location we see this as a major milestone for United Nude. To open a big store across the street from the best Paul Smith stores, Camper, Paul and Joe, Betsy Johnson, Agnes B and next to Ted Baker is fabulous. Besides this all to be just around the corner from London’s biggest and baddest Apple store is amazing! We are very proud and happy to be here and besides our homecoming to Amsterdam almost two years ago with the opening of our flagship there, I consider this our second homecoming as United Nude was originally founded in London by Galahad and myself.”

The United Nude “Dark Shop” * concept is extremely flexible and breathtaking. The United Nude stores garner such strong reactions that we are opening shops worldwide to satisfy the growing demand for our products across the globe. For more on United Nude shops visit our store locator.

* The “dark-shop” concept, means the store is completely dark in all areas other than those where the products are showcased and literally highlighted. The Wall of LightTM is a unique computer controlled installation that displays each product as a work of art encapsulated in a geometric frame.