In the last five years, fashionable flip-flop brand Havaianas has popped up at a number of events, expanding its presence in the U.S. through promotions during New York Fashion Week, spring break in Miami, and the FIFA World Cup that play up the colorful footwear and accessories with personalization stations. For the first time this spring, the brand, which hails from Brazil, will allow consumers to customize their own rubber sandals online. On Wednesday night, Havaianas previewed the offering alongside a new collection of closed-toe shoes.
About 60 editors turned out for the event, which took over the Havaianas showroom in SoHo and featured decorations inspired by food markets from the brand's native country. Christine Stucker and James Veal of Beau & Bear styled the space, crafting a floral market, fruit stand, caipirinha bar, and wall of shoes, while Ome Caterers served a selection of Brazil-inspired treats.
Bedecked in bright colors, the scenery mirrored the relaxed and festive aesthetic of Havaianas, incorporating the brand's popular footwear alongside food and drink stations marked with weathered wood signs, bunches of bananas and pineapples, and plain burlap cloths. Overhead, multicolored strips attached to strings added to the South American setting and resembled the shape of flip-flop straps. As a fun way to incorporate a station for the editors to personalize a pair of sandals, the design and production team created a fruit stand, showcasing the array of straps, bottoms, and pins alongside dozens of apples, limes, oranges, bananas, and lemons.
Equally as colorful was the menu—miniature sweet and savory dishes displayed on bright platters and tiered trays. Treats included coxinha (street-food-style chicken croquettes), pão de queijo (cheese bread buns), brigadeiros (chocolate truffles), and miniature dulce de leche tarts.
