.aesthetic talk with Mats Rombaut
*avant-garde aesthetics



written & review Monica De Vidi

Launched in 2013, accessory and footwear brand ROMBAUT spotlight humanistic values with bold, avant-garde aesthetics made in striking colors, forms, and precise details. Using sarcasm and pop culture references, they speak to a new conscious generation willing to challenge the status quo.

 

The brand spreads positivity through sustainability by experimenting with luxurious plant-based materials, recycled fibers, and high-grade artificial leather.

 
 

.designer talk
Mats Rombaut
speaks with
Moica De Vidi

first published in
Issue Nr. 32, 01/2022

 
Mats Rombaut Sneaker Design 2022 LE MILE Magazine Campaign lemilestudios production black sneaker
 
 
 
 

AN ETHICAL PROJECT

Born in 1987 in Ghent, Belgium, designer Mats Rombaut is the creative director, consultant, and sustainability expert behind his eponymous label.
Without an educational background in footwear manufacturing or design, he moved to Paris in 2006 for an internship at the fashion PR agency Totem. In 2008, he joined the men’s accessories department at Lanvin and later moved to the now-defunct label Damir Doma, where he worked on product development and production.

Working with well-known brands widened his consideration of environmental issues while proposing something new to adapt to a competitive market. Seeing how much waste is produced in the traditional manufacturing process and how many animals are exploited for the proceeds of fur and leather, Rombaut could not reconcile this with his vegan lifestyle. He began to conceive of a way to make an impact, using conciliation between work and ethics as a starting point.

When ROMBAUT entered the scene with his debut men‘s footwear collection in January 2013 and Spring/Summer 2014 womenswear collection shown at Paris Fashion Week, sustainability was still a marginal issue in fashion. The proposal of a vegan alternative in accessories creation was a subversive one, but he gained the support of influential department stores and boutiques worldwide. The vegan leather industry has grown since then and understands that sustainable practices pay off. This whole movement has inspired a change not only in consumers but also in the supply chain.

 
 
 
 
Mats Rombaut Sneaker Design 2022 LE MILE Magazine Campaign lemilestudios production silver sneaker
 
 
Mats Rombaut Sneaker Design 2022 LE MILE Magazine Campaign lemilestudios production black purple sneaker
 
 

INNOVATIVE MATERIALS

Coconut, fig, potato starch, pineapple, and cactus are just a few of the unconventional natural fibers that the designer processes. Rombaut gives new life to materials offered by nature, exalting their beauty and meaningfulness.
He even reconsiders the life of his own products, for instance, offering biodegradable soles in cork and natural rubber. Optimization and revaluation are vital to achieving the sustainable use of these resources.

 

2013, Rombaut collaborated with Belgian fashion designer Bruno Pieters to create an entirely plant-based shoe, using biodegradable fig tree bark from Uganda softened according to local traditions. He combined organic cotton lining and potato starch shoelaces coated in natural latex and dyed using vegetable pigments. For his AW20 collection, Rombaut introduced apple leather, transforming it into new fine raw material obtained from the residuals of the industrial processing of apple juice.

Besides natural fibers, he employs some synthetic materials necessary to improve the shoe‘s durability. Rombaut plans to continue improvements in eco-friendly materials and production methods, pushing the boundaries of nature merged with technology.
Today, the designer manufactures his line in Portugal, but the final product is hand-finished in Paris by the designer and his assistant. From the French capital, he directs the bold and futuristic brand ROMBAUT as well as the organically designed firm Víron.

 

RESEARCH AND INVESTIGATION

Technology plays a large role in developing the brand, experimenting with new scientific tools to integrate into design and materials. For the AW 20 campaign, he presented 3D rendered environments made entirely on a computer.

The designer fully embraces 3D printing because it doesn’t pollute. Using this technique, together with Brooklyn-based tech startup Zellerfeld, he created a baby shoe for Grimes’ and Elon Musk’s son. The tiny pair of shoes sport a thick sole, textured upper, Velcro fastener, and the name X Æ A-XII stamped across them. Inspired by Musk’s Drone sandal and the Tesla Cybertruck, they represent hope for the future.
Comfort and wearability are paramount, but the designer does not make any sacrifices when it comes to style. Despite the strict focus on materials and processes, his shoes are fun, modern, and eye-catching. Chunky soles, metallic hardware, gender-neutral harnesses, high-heeled sneakers, and inclusive sizing go beyond the standardization of masculine and feminine without apology.

 
 

Among Rombaut’s fans is supermodel Bella Hadid who loves wearing the vegan lettuce sliders. More important than celebrating the ‘ugly shoe’ aesthetic is the healing power of his orthopedic collection.

 
Mats Rombaut Sneaker Design 2022 LE MILE Magazine Campaign lemilestudios production black grey sneaker
 
 

credits
(c) all images ROMBAUT