This Shoe Brand Tapped Their Museum-Worthy Archive For A ...

The VIBE style from Nina's Limited-Edition Archive Collection

Tucked away in the back of the Nina Shoes offices in New York City lies a shoe archive that would rival the collections of some small museums. Just a few of the treasures include Marylin Monroe’s black suede D’orsay with a bow from Delman and the red satin pumps made by Delman for Christian Dior in their New York workshop, as well as I Millers’ silk stocking “shoe with a view.” “My mind always goes to the antique 18th century cream silk court pumps with metallic embroidery and a pair of baby blue Regency skimmers that make me think of Bridgerton,” says Flori Silverstein, Designer and Archivist at Nina Shoes. “I’ll always cherish all of Nina’s ‘60s and ‘70s styling—it’s so creative and fun!”

That archive served as the muse behind Nina's Limited-Edition Archive Collection, which was created in honor of the brand’s 70th anniversary. “This archive is really a lexicon of women’s footwear,” Silverstein says. “We are lucky to have some original Nina samples from the late ‘50s through the ‘70s. The Delman and I Miller archives were added when we acquired those incredible labels. Over the years, we’ve added to all the collections through auctions and online searches and from vintage shops and shows.”

Marilyn Monroe x Delman

Each brand in the archive is organized chronologically. As one walks down the aisles that go through the years, you can see each collection develop its style through the decades. “You can even witness the evolution of footwear and shoe making,” Silverstein says. “Each of our labels were ‘born’ in New York City: I Miller in 1906, Delman in 1919 and Nina in 1953.”

Additionally, the Nina archive holds about 100 pairs of antique shoes from around the world, from the 1700s through 1930s. That includes a collection of shoes from the Joseph LaRose Sotheby’s auction. Some iconic highlights in terms of design and construction include The Earth Shoe, Famolare’s wave bottom and Herbert & Beth Levine’s Kabuki pump, to name a few.

The Vyvian from Nina's Limited-Edition Archive Collection

In addition to shoes, the archive also includes an impressive ephemera collection, including almost 200 years of American and international fashion and footwear Design publications, such as Arsutoria and Mittelmark weekly pages, as well as original illustrations of Nina’s colorful skimmers from the ‘60s and vibrant ‘70s platform design illustrations from well-known designers and modelists that have collaborated through the years with Nina, Delman, I Miller and Seven Star. “I’d be remiss to leave out a mention of the note from Audrey Hepburn to Herman Delman, asking him to add a bow to her favorite shoe,” Silverstein adds.

The archive has served as the muse to countless Nina collections over the years. “An example (or sample) is worth a thousand words and there is so much to be inspired by in the archive,” Silverstein says. “Fashion is cyclical and with the archive we have the perfect design dictionary at our fingertips. There is a design reference area, with design materials saved throughout the years, which include buckles, bow, ornaments, heels, components, embroidery, beading and more, which is so valuable, seeing as trends always come back around!”

Joanne Woodward's Nina Shoes

It's been important to the Nina team to collect shoes from other brands too. “We would travel the world for shoes that inspired us,” Silverstein says. “We would look for details, such as the artistry of a certain bow or pleat, a heel shape, toe character or the skill of master artisans. Today, the space is more limited to our own collections.”

Over the decades, celebrities have always flocked to Nina. “An iconic moment that comes to mind is Joanne Woodward wearing Nina Shoes throughout the 1950s film, The Three Faces of Eve,” Silverstein says. “The shoes take on a role of their own. Audrey Hepburn and Marilyn Monroe were loyal fans of Delman. Today, Nina Shoes are a regular on the red carpet—notable stars including Saoirse Ronan, Ariana DeBose and Paula Abdul have been spotted in Nina.”

A campaign shot for Nina's Limited-Edition Archive Collection

All of that rich history is what led to Nina's new Limited-Edition Archive Collection. “Being in business for 70 years is undeniably a major milestone, and of course there was a lot of discussion around how we would celebrate this occasion,” Silverstein says. “We have an extensive private archive, and we have such a great story to share, so we've always known we would do something to honor our beginnings and celebrate our history of design and innovation. What better time than now?”

The capsule collection is made up of six styles that are a blast from the past. “They each feel authentic but new at the same time,” Silverstein says. “I love that.” In order to decide which styles to revisit from the archive, the Nina team pulled from a few seminal ideas in their early design history. “The original wooden platform nail-head clogs and the bent wood rocker bottom both felt fresh and timely!” Silverstein says. “The earliest styles were so creative and unique. We wanted to celebrate that.”

The “shoe with a view” from the Nina archive

Some of the archive collection styles are modernized more than others. “The style ‘ROCK’ on the bent wood bottom is not much of a departure from the original style ‘NANCY’ that sold millions of pairs,” Silverstein says. “The style ‘VIBE’ features the original pleated vamp detail, but the bottom is injected in lightweight modern materials. We used a hydrographic print process to recreate the original hand drawn designs on the platform.” The shoes are made in vegan or recycled materials where possible. They’ve also added comfort features, including memory foam and non-slip outsoles.

To showcase the collection, Nina collaborated with three creators on a campaign: Caroline Vazzana, Belle Bakst and Sophie Cohen. “The archive campaign represents the effortlessly cool spirit of Nina,” Silverstein says. “When our father started the company in the '50s, he didn't follow trends—he created them. Each of the creators we partnered with to appear in the campaign represent just that—they are trend setters. Sophie, Caroline and Belle have their own, unique sense of style—they mix the past and the present and make it feel new. You can truly see their personality shine through with each look they step into.”

A campaign shot for Nina's Limited-Edition Archive Collection

The collection also illustrates how the brand's aesthetic has evolved over 70 years. “We started in one category in the ‘50s with our iconic clogs, and in time, grew into a lifestyle brand,” Silverstein says. “Over the years, we made casuals, espadrilles, woven and tailored styles, as well as feminine and evening styles. We’re so proud of who we are today—we’ve truly mastered the eveningwear category and have grown to include handbags and children’s footwear as well. Following our archive collection launch, we’re excited to continue to reintroduce iconic styles from the Nina Archive that are an important part of our history.”