Say yes to shoes.
Footwear brand Naturalizer’s latest collaboration with Israeli bridal designer Pnina Tornai offers brides another reason to celebrate.
The partners will create two collections to create unforgettable footwear for the entire wedding party, combining Tornai’s luxurious aesthetics with Naturalizer’s comfort and size and width options.
“I chose to work with Naturalizer because of their incredible technology that makes shoes comfortable to wear all day,” says the designer. “After going through my own wedding shoe nightmare, I know how important it is to have a pair of shoes that will take you from the moment of preparation to the last dance of the night.”
Their first collection, which will debut in Spring ’23, features nine styles, including looks for brides, bridesmaids and wedding guests, as well as shoes to take with you on your honeymoon. The diverse collection includes mules, platforms, heels and flats in whites, nudes and metallics, with unexpected pops of color from the designer’s favorite shade of Pnina Pink.
Tornai says she incorporates many details from her bridal and jewelry collections into the shoes, such as sexy bows and lace motifs, as well as brooches, inlaid straps and glass hearts. In addition, the fashion model will use rose gold and a glitter outsole.
“Your shoe should be nice and comfortable on your big day so you can enjoy it to the fullest,” says Tonay.
With Kleinfeld’s top-performing bridal brand, Tornai is probably best known for the TLC reality series “Say Yes to the Dress,” which was filmed inside a New York bridal salon and is now in its 21st season. She also collaborates with Jared on jewelry collections. But the partnership with Naturalizer marks her first commercial shoe collection (she previously only designed bespoke custom shoes for clients).
Meanwhile, Naturalizer has been stepping up its co-op game of late. In Spring ’22, comfort label and designer Tracy Reese, owned by parent company Caleres, launched a sustainable footwear line with her eco-friendly Hope for Flowers label.
But according to senior vice president and general manager John Malpidy, this latest alliance is its first in the bridal space, a category it entered two years ago and has become a key strategic growth target.
“We’ve focused our design talent and innovation team on creating elegant styles for brides, bridesmaids and guests, leveraging Naturalizer’s signature comfort. As we’ve been growing this category and continue to receive thousands of 5 stars evaluation, we have our sights set on further innovating the category,” he said. “Pnina Tornai’s fantastic designs, authority in the field and incredible global visibility make her the perfect partner.”
The Pnina Tornai for Naturalizer collection is expected to be delivered to stores in April 2023, with retail prices ranging from $165 to $300. In terms of distribution, the brand is targeting existing wholesale partners and will also take this opportunity to expand into wedding boutique channels.
