In spring 2021, roughly season two of the pandemic—or was it three?—style pundits had a lot to say about "revenge shopping." It was the idea we could shop our way to retribution for all the time we lost sitting in our grubbiest sweatpants at home. The movement to take back our closets and truly dress up again lifted brands with a going-out mindset, including Tbilisi-based footwear label Mach & Mach.
Mach & Mach is, quite simply, the party shoe destination of the moment. Sisters Nina and Gvantsa Macharashvili first opened the brand in 20212, and it's been on a slow and steady rise to cult stardom ever since. First came a debut showing at Paris Fashion Week in 2020, then came appearances in celebrity wardrobes from Solange to Kim Kardashian, and then came recognition from some of fashion's biggest outlets, including a pop-up at the Nordstrom NYC flagship that opened last week. (That was celebrated by supermodel Joan Smalls, wearing the label's bejeweled shoes.)
It's no wonder Mach & Mach's heels have become best-sellers in the semi-post-pandemic era, when weddings, birthday parties, and more weddings are back on our calendars. The label's signature is a point-toe heel embellished with a thin bow dripping in crystals, bait for the dormant KiraKira filter. Whether you're looking at a slip-on mule or an ankle-strap pump, you're getting a high-wattage shine that begs to be photographed. One standout is a version of the brand's point-toe bow pump in gleaming red, a vampy remake of Dorothy's ruby slippers. Click your heels together three times for a good time.
In particular, a pair of black satin heels with a silver bow—a somewhat subdued piece in the world of Mach & Mach—comes up in tag after tag on the brand's Instagram, worn by women heading Out for an evening. "[The] creative process behind this sparkly design was very interesting and kind of exciting at the same time," the designers share in an email to BAZAAR.com. "When we finished working on this model we realized that something new and distinctive had been created."
The magic of this modern-day Cinderella slipper—shiny and confidence-inducing—won't disappear when the clock strikes a new season. But Mach & Mach is exploring new, equally party appropriate motifs in its next collection. It's venturing into Y2k territory (who isn't?) with acrylic heels, sky-high platforms, and PVC embellishments.
The designers hesitate to name a specific woman they'd like to see wearing any of these styles, but she has a distinct energy. The Mach & Mach girl picks up on a "vibe" through their shoes, the designers say. If we had to guess, it's one of decadence and over-the-top glamour—an attitude that says you're not just headed to a party, but you're going to be the center of it.
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Halie LeSavage is the fashion commerce editor at Harper's BAZAAR. Her style reporting covers everything from reviewing the best designer products to profiling emerging brands and designers. Previously, she was the founding retail writer at Morning Brew and a fashion associate at Glamour.
