Baja East And Melissa Just Unveiled A Killer Collab Collection At NYFW

As children of the '90s, we'll never outgrow our love of jelly sandals. Thanks to a new collaboration from Brazilian shoe brand Melissa and our favorite cool kid label Baja East, we don't have to. Having just debuted on the Spring/Summer 2018 runway of the luxury streetwear brand, Melissa + Baja East features the most fashion-forward plastic shoes you'll ever wear. "We were really inspired by Melissa’s innovation. They’ve used their signature PVC material in mind-blowing ways over three and a half decades, and we let that originality guide us," Baja East designers, Scott Studenberg and John Targon, tell us ahead of the show that took place earlier this morning.

The result includes four versatile footwear styles—slides, sandals, a mule, and a lace-up ankle bootie—and one drawstring bucket bag in a color palette of millennial pink, black, white, and gold. "The styles we designed replicate how we approach fashion—it had to be playful. Our beach slide is emblazoned with the word 'Thriving' across the shoes, and we also created a cool print that we refer to as 'psychedelic tiger,'" the duo says. "Each style is different, but they each feel fresh, accessible, and fun."

In addition to prints, the two-strap sandals and the heeled mules feature a luxe, python-like texture in line with the brand's aesthetic. "We like to play with the concept of 'loose luxury,' a sort-of blend of city grit and West Coast, laid-back cool," Studenberg and Targon add. "We created a totally fresh, 100 percent cruelty-free python-embossed texture that we’re really excited about." 

What's even more exciting, we don't have to wait until next spring to get our hands on the accessories. Ranging from $105 to $170, the collection already dropped at the Galeria Melissa location in NYC, where the fashion brand showed the new ready-to-wear collection to celebrate the partnership. (The styles will also be available at the Galeria Melissa London and Galeria Melissa Saõ Paulo locations.) 

Whether you're a Melissa collab collector—the brand has been known to tap talents like Jason Wu, Jeremy Scott, and Vivienne Westwood in the past—or a devoted follower of Baja East's elevated, gender-fluid streetwear, we're calling this the It Collaboration of the season. 

See what we mean for yourself in the campaign images, below.