Soludos X Opening Ceremony Collaboration

Collaborations are all too common these days, but when we discovered that Soludos founder Nick Brown was teaming up with Opening Ceremony, we knew this wasn’t just any old capsule collection.

The retailer is a fan favorite of trendsetters like Alexa Chung, Diane Kruger and Zoe Kravitz. In the past, Opening Ceremony has collaborated with Chloë Sevigny, Spike Jonze, Pendleton, Levi’s, Timberland, Keds, Rodarte and more. It comes as no surprise that they tapped Brown — the New York native is a travel junkie, with a knack for updating the traditional espadrille.

What is the story behind your line and why did you choose the name Soludos?
Nick Brown: I grew up spending summers in Spain as a kid, wearing classic jute soled espadrilles the whole time, and they’ve been on my feet ever since. They are such a summer staple in Europe but it used to be impossible to find a good pair in my current hometown of New York City. We launched Soludos in select retailers last summer in New York, Los Angeles, and the Hamptons and then down under in Australia last September.

My favorite times of the summer involve a few friends gathered over casual drinks on a lazy summer afternoon, so I wanted to try to capture that feeling in a name and to give a nod to the Spanish heritage of the shoes. With that, “saludos,” the Spanish word for “cheers,” and “sol” for sun were combined, and “Soludos” was born!

How did the Opening Ceremony collaboration come about?
NB: I met with the folks at Opening Ceremony a year ago and we did a small collection of black velvet Soludos for the opening of their store at the Ace Hotel in New York. They are an incredibly cool and creative group, always eager to put a twist on the conventional and traditional way of doing things. So for this summer they designed some beautiful bold exotic print fabrics for an exclusive collection of Soludos espadrilles for Opening Ceremony stores.

What are your travel essentials?
NB: Canon G12 camera, Olasul board shorts, Soludos shoes, a notepad and a kikoy.

What is the best purchase you have made while traveling?
NB: A rustic wooden backgammon board I bought on Elias Beach in Mykonos a few years back. I have won and lost countless games, spilled quite a few drinks, and shared so many laughs on that set. I take it everywhere with me.

Where is your favorite place to eat when you come home to NYC?
NB: Westville is a local gem in the West Village. They have simple, delicious food and fresh produce at an honest prices. Brinkley’s in Soho for a few beers and a quick bite is hard to beat.

What is your favorite summer destination?
NB: Definitely Mykonos, Greece. You can’t beat the energy on the White Island in June or July.

What is your soundtrack for the summer?
NB: Quite an eclectic mix, but this is what’s on my iPod at the moment:
“Miami” – Foals
“Do It Again” – The Beach Boys
“Satellite” – The Kills
“Need You Now” – Cut Copy
“Entre Dos Aguas” – Paco de Lucia

The Soludos x Opening Ceremony collection will retail for $30 and will hit the retailer’s top locations in NYC, Los Angeles, Japan and online at openingceremony.us.