Bally's new collection with Andre Saraiva is off the wall

For a 165-year-old brand such as Bally, looking to graffiti for inspiration doesn't seem like an obvious choice. But delve a little further into its latest collaboration with street artist Andre Saraiva, whose signature top-hatted stick-figure Mr A can be found across the globe, and all becomes clear.

Not only does the Swiss company have its own long history of teaming up with forward-thinking graphic designers for its stylistic posters, but Saraiva himself comes with a luxury pedigree that sets him apart from his peers. In addition to collaborating with prestigious names such as Louis Vuitton, Chanel and Tiffany & Co, he's worked for some of the most glamorous clubs, hotels and restaurants in the world, as well as once serving as creative director and editor-in-chief of influential French fashion magazine L'Officiel.

The partnership happened very organically - while packing for a trip from Paris to New York, the artist rediscovered a pair of vintage Bally boots among his belongings. Inspired to create a pair that would fit his girlfriend, he approached the brand's artistic director, Pablo Coppola, to make it a reality. The resulting collection was adapted from the 1970s original and comprises not just two pairs of shoes – one for men, one for women – but a collection of chic and modern accessories born from Saraiva's globe-trotting lifestyle.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Of course, Mr A himself makes subtle appearances across the items, you can find him hiding out on the shoes' soles, tucked inside the credit-card holder or adorning wallets, belts and key rings.

As is to be expected from Bally, the goods are made from some of the finest materials available, from Box Calf Freudenberg, a half-calf leather that undergoes an elaborate tanning treatment to ensure a flawless finish, to Polo Box, a European leather with scratch-resistant properties.

Following in a long line of designers, Saraiva has also created a poster that's been transformed into a printed silk scarf and is sure to become a collector's item of the future.

bally.co.uk