The Soundwave Collections – 2014
With the wider acceptance of our Originals collection we looked to extend our reach with the introduction of new ranges that drew on the heritage and inspiration of those first styles. Music had to play a part in the creation of those ranges, and we looked to the subject of the digital visualisation of sound. Another constant theme of Underground is the “unknown“. It was an exploration of how those unknown soundwaves could be depicted and translated into shoe shapes.
The distinctive silhouette with which the brand became synonymous found its way to new products, including Jungle and Nox the key styles in our Soundwave collection. These designs in themselves have a lineage right back to the brands’ early Manchester days – remember our monkey boots and imported trainers? Both of the new designs were inspired by the brands ongoing engagement with British music. Researching the digital visualisation of sound brought us back to our roots with sole designs that reflected iconic imagery of soundwaves. The Jungle collection included a boot design that was inspired by the Monkey Boot. The Nox took us back to the trainers that had been there at the start.
Our showrooms in Paris and the pop-up store at London’s Selfridges provided a suitable launch pad for the Nox collection. Selfridges embarked on a bold initiative, Agender, to project a genderless fashion profile across its floors. Underground was invited by the department store, on account of its genderless collections, to create a pop-up store as the shoe anchor brand for the initiative.
The integration of the Soundwave ranges into the overall collection was effortless. The Originals collection remained the centre piece of the brand with the Soundwave collection adding a contemporary take. Sharing the musical inspiration, the Soundwave and Originals together continued the forward movement of the brand.
