Philippe Starck creates sandal line for Ipanema

World renowned designer Philippe Starck has turned his hand to fashion by teaming up with Brazilian footwear brand Ipanema to produce a range of sandals, which he says are the ultimate "democratic" fashion item.

Philippe Starck for Ipanema

The French designer who is best known for his work in the product design and architecture fields, was in London last week to launch the range. He claimed it had taken four years to finalise the collection, which includes four styles of sandal, each available in 12 colourways, representing Glamour, Chic, Nature and Arty lifestyles.

Starck admitted the timeframe may seem "completely cuckoo" but "this elegance is not easy". Each design has been stripped back to the bare minimum in terms of materials (which are all 100% recyclable). "When you cannot make it any less, you are [doing] right thing," said Starck.

He added: "I have designed [the collection] to show the beauty of the person who will wear it. If you wear something just to be an ad, it is ridiculous, you wear something to look your best [...] I don't give up the design until I know it will make the person look at their best."

Ipanema with Starck - Chic

Starck said he was attracted to the project due to the "democratic" nature of the sandal, adding that two thirds of the world's population reside close to the equator and therefore only wear sandals. "These are not accessories. Shoes - you need them," he said.

The Ipanema with Starck collection will be available from January 2016 priced from £28-£37. The Ipanema line is available is more than 100 countries globally. The brand is part of the Grendene group which also owns jelly shoe brand Melissa. Melissa is renowned for its collaborations with fashion designers such as Vivienne Westwood, Karl Lagerfeld and Jason Wu.