Danielle Frankel and Birkenstock marked the launch of their collaborative footwear collection with an elegant dinner event at The Eighty Six, a recently opened venue connected to SoHo’s The Corner Store. The gathering took place on the eve of New York Fashion Week and highlighted the six-piece collection featuring Birkenstock’s popular Arizonas, Madrids, and Bostons, adorned with satin and pearl details.
Attendees included stylists, editors, artists, models, and friends of the designer, who gathered to enjoy a multi-course meal while discussing fashion week plans, weddings, and their appreciation for Birkenstock shoes. Waiters served the distinctive shoes on platters, allowing guests to closely observe the collection.
Danielle Frankel Hirsch, the designer behind the collaboration, emphasized that the shoes were not intended solely as bridal wear. “I want people to buy the shoes for whatever they want,” she said. Hirsch, who is not currently planning a wedding, described the footwear as a reflection of her personal lifestyle, sharing that she intends to wear them with a white sundress during the summer.
The event featured praise from several attendees familiar with Frankel’s bridal and ready-to-wear designs. Stylist Carrie Goldberg, known for styling Temi Otedola’s bridal looks, highlighted the collaboration’s versatility for wedding events, while fashion designer Ella Emhoff discussed incorporating the shoes into everyday wear.
Many conversations naturally centered around weddings, with the guest list including past clients of Danielle Frankel. Actress AnnaSophia Robb wore an off-the-shoulder silk charmeuse dress by Frankel and spoke about plans to dye the corset from her wedding gown previously featured in Vogue. Interior designer Augusta Hoffman, whose wedding at Hotel Il Pellicano has influenced numerous wedding aesthetics, also attended, along with fashion editor Rachel Besser, who married in a custom Danielle Frankel design last year. A Vogue Weddings writer shared personal reflections on her wife’s dress from Frankel’s Collins gown collection.
Throughout the evening, guests enjoyed dishes such as wasabi-topped pickles, steak, and tiramisu, served by the restaurant’s team. Danielle Frankel and Jason Corvi, Birkenstock’s director of global communications for activations and special projects, both addressed the crowd, raising glasses of Champagne to celebrate the collaboration. Corvi remarked on the natural connection formed during the project, stating that their partnership felt destined to succeed.
Overall, the dinner served as a platform to honor a unique fashion collaboration that merges comfort and elegance, appealing to a broad audience beyond traditional bridal wear.
