AnnaSophia Robb, Danielle Frankel HirschDarian DiCianno/BFA.com
On the eve of New York Fashion Week, Danielle Frankel’s satin and pearl-adorned Birkenstocks were the order of the day—almost literally, as the viral shoes were displayed on platters held by waiters. To fete their unexpected collaboration, the designer and footwear brand took over The Eighty Six for a stylish dinner; one where flat and comfortable shoes were very much encouraged for once.
The recently-opened hotspot—an offshoot of SoHo’s The Corner Store—was the perfect environment for attendees to catch up over a multi-course dinner of wasabi-topped pickles, steak, and tiramisu. A crowd, including stylists, editors, artists, and models, discussed everything from their fashion week plans to wedding-related show-and-tell and their lifelong loyalty to their Birks.
“I want people to buy the shoes for whatever they want. I love that they don’t have to be a bridal-specific shoe,” Danielle Frankel Hirsch told Vogue, referring to the hotly-anticipated six-piece collection of Arizonas, Madrids, and Bostons which drops on February 12. “I’m not a bride. I’m not getting married, and this is my way of connecting to Birkenstock in a way that feels like the way I live my life. In the summer, I’m wearing these shoes with a great white sundress.”
The room was filled with many admirers of both Frankel’s bridal and ready-to-wear pieces. Stylist Carrie Goldberg (who was behind Temi Otedola’s bridal looks) was waxing lyrical about how versatile the new collaboration will be for wedding weekend wardrobes, while fashion designer Ella Emhoff shared how she would wear the styles in her daily life.
Naturally, chatter kept drifting back to weddings—especially seeing as the guest list was brimming with past Danielle Frankel brides. Actress AnnaSophia Robb, who was wearing an ethereal off-the-shoulder Danielle Frankel dress in silk charmeuse, was explaining to seat mates how she plans to dye the corset from her Vogue-featured wedding gown. There was also interior designer Augusta Hoffman, whose ‘I do’ celebration at Hotel Il Pellicano has inspired many mood boards since, and fashion editor Rachel Besser, who wed wearing custom Danielle Frankel in Chicago last May. Even this Vogue Weddings writer was sharing how incredible her wife looked in the Collins gown.
As The Eighty Six team served up one delicious course after another, Frankel and Jason Corvi, Birkenstock’s director of global communications for activations and special projects, each made a speech with Champagne in hand to toast to the promising partnership. “We kind of fell in love with each other when the project started and I think that’s when the best collaborations come,” Corvi shared.
A match made in heaven, one might say.