Havaianas has teamed up with Dolce & Gabbana on a new range of flip flops for summer.
According to the Alpargatas S.A-owned Brazilian footwear brand, the limited-edition unisex collection features its classic flip flop models produced in four prints from the Italian luxury company. These include the Leopardo and Zebra prints as well as the Blu Mediterraneo and Carretto Siciliano motifs.
Each product features a printed velvet finish on the straps, a metallic Havaianas logo, and an exclusive pearly pin from Dolce & Gabbana, the company added. The packaging of the new sandals will follow the quintessential style of Dolce & Gabbana, showcasing a blend of matte lamination, metallic prints and golden details.
Maria Fernanda Albuquerque, vice president of global marketing at Havaianas, told FN that this collaboration was inspired by “the connection between the Brazilian easygoing summer vibes with the Italian exuberance and creativity.”
As for why the footwear brand continues to purse collaborations with fashion brands – having released another one in April with Maison Kitsuné – Albuquerque added that collaborations allow the company to connect with different consumers and territories in an authentic way and this is part of the Havaianas strategy. “The collaboration with Dolce & Gabbana is a very important global movement for the brand,” Albuquerque said. “It reinforces our connection to the fashion world.”
Diane Bekhor, president of North America at Havaianas, echoed this sentiment. “Collaborations are an important part of our strategy,” Bekhor said. “They allow Havaianas to provide new and innovative product to excite our customers and to reach a new audience.”
The limited Dolce & Gabbana x Havaianas collection, which retails for $139, will be released at Dolcegabbana.com, Havaianas.com, Havaianas flagship stores, pop-ups and select retailers around the world on June 13.
It has been a busy few months for the Brazilian company. In late December, Havaianas parent company Alpargatas named Liel Miranda as its new chief executive officer. He assumed the role on Feb. 1 and succeeded interim CEO Luiz Fernando Edmond.
As CEO, Miranda is tasked with playing a key role in the transformation process that began in 2023, with a focus on simplification and efficiency, as well as leading the company in executing its new strategies.
And the turnaround is starting to work. In May, Alpargatas reported net sales increased 3.0 percent in the first quarter of 2024 to 921.1 million Brazilian Real ($171.6 million), up from 894.3 million Brazilian Real ($166.6 million) the same quarter last year. The company said it sold 2.3 million pairs of Havaianas flip flops in the first quarter, an increase of 8.6 percent from the same time last year, driven by growth in Brazil.
In its first quarter earnings release last month, the company said in a statement that its growth in Brazil was driven by core products, as it sees improvements both in distribution and in the volume of men’s products sold.
“While we have made significant strides in regaining competitiveness, scale, and cost and expense efficiency in Brazil, our international operations are a few steps behind on this journey,” the company stated at the time. “In the United States, we are still in the early stages of implementing our channel strategy. In the first quarter of 2024, we experienced a 20 percent year-over-year volume decline, mainly due to reduced discount levels and the decreased relevance of the off-price channel. The positive counterpart of this movement appeared in revenue per pair growth and improved gross margin.”
Established in 1907, Alpargatas S.A is one of the largest Brazilian companies in the footwear business. Aside from Havaianas, the company owns Ioasys, an innovation and technology company. And in 2021, the company added Rothy’s to its portfolio after purchasing a 49 percent stake in the American sustainable footwear brand.
