Madewell has partnered with 80-year-old heritage brand Minnetonka on a limited-edition collection of footwear, and the result is three distinct shapes you'll want to add to your fall footwear immediately.
Designed for "effortless, everyday wear" according to the brand, the drop features the Classic Driver, the Double Fringe Kilty Moc and the Baashkinjibigwan Boot in Brown, the last of which was designed by Anishinaabe artist Adrienne Benjamin of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe.
"I come from the Chiminising community of Misi-Zaaga'iganing," Benjamin said in a Q&A with Madewell. "I grew up and still live on the original homelands of my tribe; the Non-Removeable Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe near Mille Lacs Lake. The people of Mille Lacs are known for their artistry, strength, and resilience."
"Baashkinjibigwan" is the Anishinaabe word for the Minnesota trillium flower, according to Minnetonka, the symbolism of which tells the story of Benjamin's design inspiration.
"Growing up, all of my cousins used to play in the woods on the reservation every day. These flowers would always pop up in the spring and have such a wide variety of colors and they were bountiful," she said. "We used to pick them and bring them home to our mothers and grandmothers. Even when I see them now, they remind me of home, of childhood, the wild and open forest, and of youthful imagination."
To honor the collection, Minnetonka said it will donate to the Midwest Indigenous Immersion Network, a charity Benjamin chose for its commitment to helping the Anishinaabe people through amplifying First Nations languages, helping Anishinaabe students succeed in public school systems and more.
The shoes, exclusively available at Madewell, combine the beautiful craftsmanship for which Minnetonka is known with the warm sophistication that makes Madewell a go-to destination for stylish dressers in the know. All three pairs offer elevated takes on dressing for comfort, so you can slip them on with jeans, leggings (Benjamin's plan for the Baashkinjibigwan boots) or a flowy skirt and instantly look chic this fall.
When asked why she chose to work with Minnetonka on this project, Benjamin explained, "There are many misconceptions and misunderstandings throughout history about Native people, and I hope that even the smallest collaboration or visible storytelling can help to shift some of those misconceptions and that it may invite more people to learn about the history of the first people of this land we call the United States."
She added, "We all heal when we uncover hard truths and gain understanding and empathy."
Shop the Minnetonka x Madwell collection here, or keep scrolling for our standout picks.
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