Last year, Natacha Ramsay-Levi, former creative director of Chloé and protégée of Nicolas Ghesquière, joined forces with the global footwear and lifestyle brand Ecco as their creative partner. Within this collaboration, Ramsay Levi and Ecco have been working together to create biannual capsule collections called ‘NRL,‘ which combine her artistic vision with Ecco’s innovation and technical know-how. Drop I showcased 15 athletic-inspired shoe designs that played with colour and proportion while emphasising comfort and originality. Drop II further expands on the dynamism established in Drop I.

In Drop II, leather has been skillfully treated to innovative effects, incorporating sporty finishes and vibrant hues like electric blue, bubble gum pink, cherry red, and timeless neutrals such as black, white, and stone. Once more, Ecco’s BIOM technology is employed to ensure optimal comfort.

The key styles for Drop II are the Ecco Biom C-Trail NRL, which is part trail shoe and part ballet pump; the Ecco Offroad NRL, which is an elevated hiking sandal; and the Ecco Sculptured NRL, which is a heeled sandal that combines height and comfort. 

Before being named creative partner, Ramsay-Levi was a member of the initial group of designers involved in Ecco Leather’s At.Kollektive initiative: “There is something very special, super authentic, super true about Ecco. It’s honest and direct. I’m very impressed by the way everything is done: the sustainability, the management of people, innovations – technical innovations, but also the way they constantly search for new designers, new collaborations, and young people. It’s proof of how open and how modern I feel Ecco is and how authentic. It’s here, it’s present, it’s real,” she says.

NRL Drop II launches this spring, with the first drop arriving in select stores and online starting March 8