The Fall/Winter 2025 season has delivered a masterclass in strategic convergence with the unveiling of the Larroudé x Nicolò Beretta collaboration. This partnership is far more than a standard merging of logos; it represents a calculated intersection of direct-to-consumer agility and Italian haute couture sensibility. By fusing Larroudé’s distinct grasp of the accessible luxury market with Beretta’s architectural, high-fashion pedigree, the collection signals a broader shift in the footwear industry. We are witnessing the erosion of the barrier between "digital-native" and "designer," replaced by a new hierarchy where sculptural integrity and curated scarcity drive the narrative. For the modern fashion intellectual, this is not merely a product launch—it is a case study in brand elevation and the return of rigor to American luxury.
The New Calculus of Collaboration
In the fragmented landscape of modern luxury, the standalone drop is increasingly obsolete. The Larroudé x Nicolò Beretta union arrives at a pivotal moment for the industry, specifically within the "affordable luxury" sector. Larroudé, founded in 2012 with a Paris-meets-New York ethos, has spent over a decade perfecting the direct-to-consumer (DTC) model. Yet, as we move deeper into the latter half of the 2020s, the DTC model faces an existential crisis of prestige. The digital shelf is crowded, and algorithmic dominance has made discovery expensive.
Enter Nicolò Beretta. As an Italian designer primarily celebrated for his structural knitwear and sharp, contemporary menswear, Beretta brings an aesthetic gravity that algorithms cannot replicate. This collaboration functions as an act of "credibility arbitrage." Larroudé leverages Beretta’s European design provenance to transcend its commercial positioning, effectively buying a ticket into the conversation reserved for heritage houses. Conversely, Beretta utilizes Larroudé’s robust infrastructure to penetrate the lucrative women’s footwear market without the capital intensity of launching an independent line. It is a symbiotic relationship born not of romance, but of astute market necessity.
The resulting collection, characterized by early reports as "sculptural, bold, and refined," suggests a departure from the whimsical, maximalist trends that dominated the early 2020s. We are seeing a pivot toward "Architectural Minimalism"—a trend that prioritizes silhouette and construction over ornamentation. This is footwear designed for the gaze of the art director, not just the pedestrian.
Aesthetic Rigor: The Return of Structure
The visual language of the Larroudé x Nicolò Beretta collection aligns aggressively with the macro-trends of Fall/Winter 2025. Editorial previews, including coverage from L'Officiel, highlight a design ethos that treats the shoe as an object of industrial design rather than a mere accessory. The descriptors circulating in elite fashion circles—"structural," "refined," "bold"—point to a rejection of the slouchy, comfort-first aesthetics that lingered post-pandemic.
Beretta’s influence is palpable here. Known for menswear that utilizes stiff, structural fabrics to create imposing silhouettes, he appears to be applying the same engineering principles to the heel and arch. This implies a construction that relies on geometric heels, squared or sharply pointed toes, and a reduction of hardware in favor of form. It is a return to the "visible quality" that the luxury consumer currently demands. In an era of fast-fashion dupes, complex, architectural shapes are difficult to copy cheaply. Therefore, the design itself becomes a mechanism of authenticity.
This "sculptural" direction also serves a functional purpose in brand differentiation. For Larroudé, whose core competency has been accessible, wearable heels, introducing abstract, gallery-worthy shapes elevates the perceived value of the entire inventory. It creates a halo effect: the customer may come for the avant-garde collaboration but stay for the core collection staples.
The Zoey Deutch Factor: Strategic Seeding
No modern fashion narrative is complete without its protagonist, and for this campaign, the brands have selected Zoey Deutch. This choice is remarkably precise. At 29, Deutch sits at the intersection of the "Old Hollywood" rising guard and the digital-native influencer economy. With an Instagram following approaching 9 million, she offers reach, but it is her specific demographic appeal that matters most.
Deutch appeals to the "high-potential" luxury consumer—women aged 25 to 40 who are graduating from contemporary brands to true luxury. By seeding the collection on Deutch, Larroudé and Beretta are signaling that these shoes are intended for a lifestyle of curated visibility. It validates the collaboration not just as a product, but as a component of the "It Girl" uniform for late 2025.
However, the absence of male influencers in the initial seeding strategy is a telling detail. Despite Nicolò Beretta’s strong menswear heritage, the marketing weight is currently placed entirely on women’s footwear. This suggests that while Beretta is diversifying his creative output, the financial engine of this partnership is squarely focused on the higher average selling price (ASP) and volume of the women’s luxury shoe market.
Critical Gaps: The Sustainability Silence
While the aesthetic and strategic narratives are strong, a critical analysis reveals a significant void in the collaboration’s messaging: sustainability. In the current climate, where material provenance and production transparency are paramount to the luxury value proposition, the silence regarding these metrics is deafening.
Nicolò Beretta has previously championed sustainable practices within his mainline collections. Larroudé has historically touted the efficiency of its inventory model to minimize waste. Yet, the promotional materials for this Fall/Winter 2025 launch lack specific data on leather sourcing, carbon footprint, or ethical labor certifications. This omission is a "red flag" for the conscientious observer.
It raises a difficult question: Is sustainability being sacrificed for margin in this "masstige" partnership? Or is the omission a strategic delay, intended to be revealed closer to the retail drop to sustain the news cycle? For a collaboration positioning itself as "refined" and "modern," the lack of environmental credentials creates a dissonance that the brands will eventually need to address to satisfy the scrutiny of the Gen Z and Millennial luxury consumer.
Market Implications: The Death of Pure DTC
The Larroudé x Nicolò Beretta partnership is a bellwether for the "Post-DTC" era. From 2010 to 2020, brands like Everlane and Allbirds convinced the market that cutting out the middleman was the ultimate value driver. Today, that narrative has collapsed under the weight of rising customer acquisition costs and a consumer desire for brand mythology.
Pure utility is no longer enough; customers want magic. This collaboration proves that DTC brands can no longer survive on the promise of "fair prices" alone. They must manufacture prestige. By partnering with a designer who shows on the calendar, Larroudé is effectively importing the magic of the runway into its digital storefront. We expect this to trigger a wave of similar partnerships across the industry in 2026, where mid-tier DTC brands scramble to sign creative directors from the European circuit to validate their existence.
Timeline of Evolution
- 2012-2020: Larroudé establishes itself as a key player in the direct-to-consumer footwear space, focusing on accessible price points and digital-first marketing.
- 2021-2024: The luxury market consolidates. DTC brands face margin compression, prompting a search for "brand heat" beyond paid social media ads.
- November 2025: The Larroudé x Nicolò Beretta collaboration is unveiled via editorial placement in L'Officiel, positioning the drop within the "Best of Fall/Winter 2025."
- Q4 2025 (Projected): Retail launch anticipates modest but high-value sales volume, driven by exclusivity and celebrity seeding campaigns.
Future Forecast: What Happens Next?
Looking beyond the immediate release, the trajectory of this collaboration suggests three distinct outcomes for the broader market. First, if the "sculptural" aesthetic resonates, we will see a rapid trickle-down effect where mass-market retailers (Zara, Mango) attempt to replicate these complex heel structures by Spring 2026. This will force Larroudé to innovate further or rely on the brand equity built by this partnership.
Second, Nicolò Beretta’s success here could serve as a pilot program for a permanent footwear line under his own name, or potentially, a Creative Director appointment at a heritage footwear house looking for revitalization. The industry is currently hungry for designers who can bridge the gap between apparel and accessories.
Finally, we anticipate that department stores—historically hesitant to stock pure DTC brands—will use this collaboration as a testing ground. If the sell-through is strong, Larroudé may finally crack the wholesale code, moving from a digital entity to a physical fixture in the halls of Saks or Neiman Marcus. This collaboration is not just a shoe; it is a Trojan Horse for retail expansion.
Written by Ara Ohanian for FAZ Fashion — fashion intelligence for the modern reader.
