Artistic collaborations are inherent to Bally and this season is no different as design director Pablo Coppola teams up with artist André Saraiva on an exclusive capsule collection.
While packing for a trip, André rediscovered a pair of Bally boots he had bought at a vintage sale. The boots, originally from 1973, had such charm they have since become a distinctive part of his everyday look. Wanting to create a replica pair of boots for his girlfriend, the idea for a collaboration took shape.
Pablo Coppola and André sat together studying and redesigning the charismatic boots, which led to a dynamic assortment of small leather goods, embossed with Andre’s distinctive stick-figure character ‘Mr. A’ – commonly seen in his street art from Paris to New York.
As well as the capsule collection, André has designed a poster for Bally. His bold, graphic design joins the brand’s creative legacy of artistic advertising which began in 1910 and followed with commissions to artists such as Bernard Villemot. It was he who collaborated on one of the last geographical, illustrative posters with Bally in 1990, before the brand’s campaign style changed more towards photographical collage. The Bally x André collaboration is therefore the first of its kind in more than 25 years, marking the return of this artistic partnership with Bally’s commitment to producing an annual poster with a new talent from this year onwards.
The Bally x André collection includes men’s and women’s boots, a make-up bag, travel wallets, a credit-card holder, key-ring, belt and silk scarf – beautifully illustrated with the poster print. André’s modern and playful style is a nod to Pablo’s take on Bally with a distinctive capsule collection that reinforces the brand’s heritage while engaging a millennial audience.
The collection is now available in selected Bally stores and online in France, Germany, Italy, Japan, UK and US from October 2016.
PABLO COPPOLA, BALLY DESIGN DIRECTOR
Appointed Design Director of Bally in February 2014, Pablo Coppola is responsible for the design of all Bally collections – ready to wear, shoes, handbags and accessories, as well as overall brand image and communications.
Since his arrival at Bally, Coppola has led the new design direction for the brand, in a period that heralds a new chapter for Bally. Coppola oversees the design team based in the company’s London headquarters.
Pablo Coppola brought with him more than ten years of design experience, having previously held positions in some of the industry’s leading luxury brands. Prior to Bally, Coppola worked at Christian Dior accessories team as a senior designer. In 2010, Coppola was chosen by Tom Ford to head the design for the label’s women’s and men’s accessory collections, including eyewear. He also held positions in the women’s accessories design divisions at, Alexander McQueen, Burberry and Céline.
Coppola has an international background – born in Argentina, he spent part of his childhood in the US. After receiving a fashion degree in Barcelona, he was invited to attend the post-graduate program at the Institute Français de La Mode, in Paris. A keen linguist, Coppola speaks four languages. He currently resides in London.
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