When most of us get together to make stuff with our friends, it means tie-dye, cookies, or mischief. But when Jen Brill and Olivia Kim put their creative minds together, a shoe collection happened. Putting our crafternoons to shame, the two OC friends and BFFs teamed up with Cole Haan to design three custom versions of the brand's Chelsea pump. Cut from rainbow shades of suede, the T-strap, ankle bootie, and Mary Jane are as comfy and colorful as you would imagine the offspring of OC's own creative VP and one of NYC's busiest creative consultants would be. The shoes are engineered with cushioned soles that use the same technology as Nike Air Max. And, if you're running around all day like these two, and staying out all night, that's a total win.
Peep the shoes below, in GIFs made specially by pal Jeanette Hayes, and see what Olivia and Jen have to say about the shoes and each other in our Q&A!
Shop all Cole Haan x Jen Brill & Olivia Kim here.
Alice Newell-Hanson: Olivia, how did you meet Jen?
Olivia Kim: Jen and I met through a mutual friend and it was love at first sight/conversation/hang out.
ANH: Thing you like most about Jen?
OK: Her up-front honesty. Her love of reggae. Her potatoes at breakfast.
ANH: Pair of Jen's shoes you'd most like to steal?
OK: The wedges with bow ties on them.
ANH: What was your aim for the Cole Haan collab?
OK: To create something with my BFF that was fun and functional. Mission accomplished!
ANH: Which pair were you most excited to wear? And what have you been wearing them with?
OK: I'm super stoked about the two-tone mary janes. I love them with jeans and a T-shirt.
ANH: Top three pairs of shoes everyone should own?
OK: A great comfortable heel that goes from day to night, something to wear in the rain or snow, and a beat-up pair of Chucks.
ANH: Shoes no one should own?
OK: Platform flip-flops.
ANH: Jen, please describe how you met Olivia.
Jen Brill: Chrissie Miller set us up. We went to Big Wong on our first friendship date.
ANH: Thing you like most about Olivia?
JB: Her brains, her face, her hair... In a nutshell: her everything.
ANH: Pair of Olivia's shoes you'd most like to steal?
JB: Her Comme des Garçons white saddle shoes.
ANH: What was your aim for the Cole Haan collab?
JB: To make the shoes that Olivia and I dreamt of, that are both stylish and comfortable.
ANH: Which pair were you most excited to wear? And what have you been wearing them with?
JB: The violet multicolor sandals,
Peep the shoes below, in GIFs made specially by pal Jeanette Hayes, and see what Olivia and Jen have to say about the shoes and each other in our Q&A!
Shop all Cole Haan x Jen Brill & Olivia Kim here.
Alice Newell-Hanson: Olivia, how did you meet Jen?
Olivia Kim: Jen and I met through a mutual friend and it was love at first sight/conversation/hang out.
ANH: Thing you like most about Jen?
OK: Her up-front honesty. Her love of reggae. Her potatoes at breakfast.
ANH: Pair of Jen's shoes you'd most like to steal?
OK: The wedges with bow ties on them.
ANH: What was your aim for the Cole Haan collab?
OK: To create something with my BFF that was fun and functional. Mission accomplished!
ANH: Which pair were you most excited to wear? And what have you been wearing them with?
OK: I'm super stoked about the two-tone mary janes. I love them with jeans and a T-shirt.
ANH: Top three pairs of shoes everyone should own?
OK: A great comfortable heel that goes from day to night, something to wear in the rain or snow, and a beat-up pair of Chucks.
ANH: Shoes no one should own?
OK: Platform flip-flops.
ANH: Jen, please describe how you met Olivia.
Jen Brill: Chrissie Miller set us up. We went to Big Wong on our first friendship date.
ANH: Thing you like most about Olivia?
JB: Her brains, her face, her hair... In a nutshell: her everything.
ANH: Pair of Olivia's shoes you'd most like to steal?
JB: Her Comme des Garçons white saddle shoes.
ANH: What was your aim for the Cole Haan collab?
JB: To make the shoes that Olivia and I dreamt of, that are both stylish and comfortable.
ANH: Which pair were you most excited to wear? And what have you been wearing them with?
JB: The violet multicolor sandals,