Melissa Collaborations Through the Years: Jean Paul Gaultier, Vivienne Westwood, Marc Jacobs and More

Brazillian brand Melissa is in constant collaboration with a variety of other brands.

The footwear label was founded in 1979 as a concept store in Milan in the 90s. Today, Melissa has various sales points around the world and is now a part of the Melissa universe.

The company, which serves as the brains behind the original jelly shoe, has featured some major collaborators in its lengthy history. Melissa has collaborated with some big names over the years, including Vivienne Westwood, Karl Lagerfeld, Jean Paul Gaultier, Collina Strada, Campana Zig Zag, Y-Project, Thierry Mugler, Alexandre Herchcovitch, Zaha Hadid, Gareth Pugh, Jason Wu, Jeremy Scott and now Marc Jacobs.

Here, FootwearNews is rounding up some of the most memorable ones throughout the years.

Melissa x Jean Paul Gaultier

• Release Date: 2023
• Price: $400

In celebration of 40 years of collaborations, Melissa and Jean Paul Gaultier came together in 2023 to create a variety of grungy footwear silhouettes. The innovative collaboration takes inspiration from the grunge aesthetics of the French design house and incorporates it into Melissa’s colorful and whimsical shoe silhouettes.

The collection introduced two new styles aptly titled the Punk Love Pump and the Becky Punk Love platform sandal. Both shoe silhouettes unite romantic gothic and light punk aesthetics with the addition of spike detailing, clear straps and platform soles.

Melissa x Telfar

• Release Date: 2023
• Price: $100

Utilizing Melissa’s exclusive and sustainable Melflex materials, the collection includes a totally transparent and conveniently water-resistant tubular slide along with a take on Telfar’s signature shopping bag. The molded slip-on sandals are set on a light, yet chunky heel featuring a rounded shape and are complete with a ridged sole design. Complementing the bag seamlessly, the jelly slides are topped with Teflar’s well-known emblem.

Melissa x Viktor & Rolf

• Release Date: 2022
• Price: $159

Melissa’s Tie Beach slide received an elegant makeover via way of Viktor & Rolf. The slip-on style features glossy bow detailing on the uppers accompanied by thick soles that prioritize comfort. The collaborative slides come in a variety of colorways, including “Black,” “Beige/Pink,” “Brown/Orange” and “Red/Pink,” among others. The silhouette effortlessly marries haute couture with comfort and quality.

The duo has collaborated on numerous occasions on similarly romantic silhouettes, including platform mules, strappy sandal heels and speckled ankle-length lace-up booties.

Melissa x Simon Miller

• Release Date: 2022
• Price: $129

In collaboration with luxury fashion label Simon Miller, Melissa created a handful of playful graphic logo-printed slides, successfully combining Melissa’s comfort and sustainability with the playful design aesthetics of Simon Miller.

The slip-on style is comprised of black and yellow uppers featuring Simon Miller’s logo printed in bold lettering all throughout. The logo is also printed on the plush insoles, further diversifying the shoe silhouette. The logo slides were released alongside a complimentary pair of cow-printed slides. Currently, both styles are available on sale via Melissa’s official website.

Melissa x Y/Project

• Release Date: 2021
• Price: $249

A collaboration that remains insanely popular, Y/Project and Melissa’s Court shoe is an elegant twist on the kitten heel. The style features molded ornate uppers accompanied by short block heels, severely pointed toes and open backs. The silhouette can be likened to Cinderella’s glass slipper and comes in a variety of colorways including “Gold” and “Clear Pink.” Later on, the duo came together to create boots inspired by the beloved silhouette.

Melissa x Lazy Oaf

• Release Date: 2021
• Price: $49 – $137

In collaboration with youthful streetwear company Lazy Oaf, Melissa released a variety of platform sandal styles, each fitted with blossoming floral motifs. The lofty jelly styles included daisy detailing on the front straps, platform soles, adjustable clips and velcro fastens and a unique tutti-frutti scent. The silhouette came in a range of colors including a bright slime-esque green and a neutral black hue. The chunky silhouette is exceedingly fun, incorporating a variety of practical and playful elements to create the perfect platform sandal.

Both institutions partnered up again to release a variety of jelly mule styles also equipped with floral motifs and bold colors.

Melissa x Undercover

• Release Date: 2019
• Price: $300

Melissa collaborated with Japanese designer brand Undercover back in 2019 to reinvent the Brazillian brand’s best-selling Coturno model. The resulting ankle-length bootie collection combines street culture and the punk movement and comes in a variety of colors including “Red,” “Green” and “Beige.” The collaborative silhouette, which is heavily informed by Undercover’s body of work, includes spike detailing, lace-up corset-inspired closures on the back and thick PVC Melflex soles equipped with short stacked block heels.

Beyond the Coturno booties, the duo also created a variety of slide and sandal styles fitted with rosettes and complimentary spiked detailing.

Melissa x Opening Ceremony

• Release Date: 2019
• Price: $119

In 2019, Melissa tapped the designer brand Opening Ceremony to reinvent a bevy of the footwear brand’s fisherman-inspired silhouettes. The resulting collection centers around the Brazilian footwear maker’s Hatch sandal cast in whimsical hues including emerald green and red.

The sandals feature mesh overlays accompanied by breezy open-toes and ankle straps threaded through buckle closures. Beyond the Hatch style, Opening Ceremony has also upgraded Melissa’s slides, mules and Mary Jane styles in the past, imbuing each silhouette with a touch of high fashion.

Melissa x Jason Wu

• Release Date: 2017
• Price: $79

In collaboration with famed designer Jason Wu, Melissa released a variety of jelly Diane sandals featuring thick crisscrossing straps constructing the vamp accompanied by adjustable buckle closures. The minimal slip-on style was available in a variety of colorways including mint green, black and mixed red and black, among others. As always, the styles are made using Melissa’s signature plastic compound, which is 100 percent vegan and waterproof.

Melissa x Jeremy Scott

• Release Date: 2016
• Price: $100 to $260

Via the wonderful and whimsical world of Jeremy Scott, Melissa shared a variety of inflatable styles back in 2016 which were shown on Moschino’s spring 2016 runway show in 2015 prior to their release. These campy styles included platform mules, ballet flats, sandals and ankle booties all inspired by pool floaties. Said shoes were crafted of vibrant hues in shades of bubble gum pink and neon orange, pairing well with Scott’s already eye-catching designs. All of the styles are fitted with whimsical air nozzles, insinuating that they are inflatable.

Melissa x Karl Lagerfeld

• Release Date: 2015
• Price: $119.75 or £94

Teaming up with the designer behind some of Chanel’s greatest shows, Melissa tapped Karl Lagerfeld back in 2015 to create a range of jelly shoe silhouettes inspired by the French creative’s own wardrobe choices.

From a zipper flat to a peep-toe brogue to a chunky high-heel bootie, every style is 100 percent plastic, in true Melissa style. The brand also has recyclable, vegan and waterproof looks, all for under $200. Each style is cast in neon hues like pink and navy accompanied by bowtie and tie detailing along with “M” embellishments throughout that offer every shoe a playful touch.

7) Melissa x Gareth Pugh Aileron

• Release Date: 2011
• Price: $89.17 or £70

Melissa and Gareth Pugh Aileron collaborated back in 2011. The union was a no-brainer given both brand’s love of using plastic. The resulting collaborative collection features a range of gladiator-inspired styles cast in metallic and neutral hues and flats featuring Gareth Pugh Aileron’s famed zig-zag print all throughout.

The gladiator styles have an armored-esque quality accompanied by breezy peep toes and thin straps that wrap around the wearer’s ankles, securing the style in place. Playful and stylish, the collection married both brand’s love of unique materials and inventive silhouettes.

About the Author

Amina Ayoud is an Assistant Digital Editor for Footwear News, where she writes stories about everything from celebrity style to breaking fashion and shoe releases. Ayoud cultivated a love of all things fashion early in life thanks to a deep love of fashion history and the luxury industry. In her free time, Ayoud is a self-proclaimed fashion nerd and thriftaholic.