In the Nordic winter, everyone is bundled up in coats and jackets, and childhood friends Cathrine Saks and Barbara Potts noticed how everyone in the streets of Copenhagen looked almost the same in their minimalistic, monochrome outerwear. Does it really need to be so nondescript, they wondered, and thus, the seed was sown for Saks Potts, which launched its first collection in 2014. Instead of trend forecasts and business strategies the brand is based exclusively on Cathrine's and Barbara's gut feeling, intuitive storytelling and a basic desire to make the world more colourful and let people's personality shine through in the public space.
"Outerwear is all you see when you look around. Women's outerwear should stand out, brighten up the surroundings and reflect everyone's individual personality in a diverse world", says Cathrine Saks. With Cathrine's degree in fashion design and tailoring and Barbara's BA in art history from the University of Copenhagen, the two complement each other perfectly.
Their partnership is based on a blend of technical expertise and artistic understanding mixed with courage, dedication and a shared passion for outstanding quality. From the outset, their mission has been to use high- quality natural materials, including leather, in their outerwear collections.
"Leather is a fantastic material in every regard, durable and strong. It shapes itself to you and only gets more beautiful with age. It also offers endless possibilities for playing with the expression, depending on dye, tanning and finishing, and for exploring new directions", says Barbara Potts.
In the collaboration between ECCO and Saks Potts the love of leather is a natural shared language. This has led to the development of an ECCO Shape boot, sculpted in premium leather and with a bold design that celebrates personality as well as convenience. The design process took Cathrine Saks and Barbara Potts to Portugal for a first-hand look at ECCO's shoe production and revolutionary technologies, among them the ECCO Shape Technology, which allows for beautifully crafted and anatomically moulded high-heeled shoes and boots.
"We love the fact that ECCO makes high heels that don't hurt your feet. It's quite unique. We have always been passionate about creating designs that, however bold and beautiful, are always comfortable and uncomplicated to use with jeans as well as dresses, and throughout the years we have been looking for shoes that would fit perfectly into our universe", says Cathrine Saks.
Barbara Potts adds, "The footwear is a natural part of any look and a way to express yourself in combination with your outerwear, making a striking first impression. In our design collaboration with ECCO we have aimed for some extra coolness and femininity, leaving plenty of room for personality."
The setting and theme of the new Collection 12, which the ECCO Shape X Saks Potts design is a part of, have been shrouded in secrecy for months but are sure to be revealed on social media, given that the annual Saks Potts fashion show has evolved into a major event during the August edition of Copenhagen Fashion Week.
After its debut on the catwalk during this year's fashion show, the ECCO Shape Sculpted Motion boot styled by Saks Potts will be available in a limited edition from selected luxury fashion retailers. The release will add an unexpected dimension to the global release of the full new Shape Sculpted Motion range in ECCO stores worldwide.