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Salvation Army took to their newly-launched website trulydestroyed.com, to unveil a new collection of limited-edition shoes which were previously worn by homeless people. It took inspiration from the latest collection from Balenciaga which features ‘destroyed’ gear and will earn money for charity.
Just so you know, the Salvation Army is a non-profit organisation that works around the world to collect and distribute second-hand clothing.
The organization “takes on” the luxury fashion house Balenciaga which recently launched its Paris Sneaker line that includes 100 pairs of limited-edition ‘destroyed’ sneakers priced at $1,850 each.
Truly Destroyed Shoe. 📷 Carli Hermes/The Salvation Army
Shot by photographer Carli Hermes, the shoe contains a unique description like John’s Truly Destroyed all-purpose shoe, and product details like freezing winter has worn out effect, not waterproof, detached sole, various holes for warm weather, and painful fit.
Cloudfactory, an Amsterndam-based creative agency, directed and created the campaign, and all the funds raised will go directly to The Dutch Salvation Army’s mission to help people in need rebuild their lives.
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“Of course, the fashion world is all about how clothes and shoes appear,” Thamar Keuning, marketing and communications head of Salvation Army ReShare, (Leger des Hells ReShare in the Netherlands), stated. High fashion, or, for that matter, Balenciaga, can be wonderful in terms of innovation and variety.
It is, however, occasionally at odds with what clothing signifies to the vast majority of the individuals we work with, which is purely functional. The destroyed shoes of a homeless person opposite the high-fashion products of this fashion industry represent the world’s inequality both literally and symbolically.
“It’s a good thing that the conversation is changed from a fashion gimmick and fuss to real social concern, such as the enormous number of homeless people in the Netherlands – there are currently 32,000! For years, we have advocated for the housing of homeless people as well as the problem is now receiving the international attention it deserves as a result of initiatives like these.”
“I’m not against Balenciaga’s destroyed sneakers at all. They were successful in capturing everyone’s attention.
“However, I’m in where I can help the homeless – the number of whom appears to be one on the rise again, with such a fantastic idea. The backstory appeals to me. This isn’t only about photography for me – it’s also about art direction. Because the concept is solid, I believe I could develop it further in photography.”
Cloudfactory’s creative director Julio Alvarez, added: “We have a lot of respect for Demna Gvasaline’s vision, the creative director of Balenciaga, and what he is doing with the Balenciaga brand – they often tap brilliantly into the (pop) culture,” We recognize that the fashion industry has its codes, and we are not here to pass judgment.
“It gives us a good starting point for bringing a tougher reality to the news.”
