Celebrated Indigenous designer Clair Helen Parker has joined forces with popular shoe brand Birkenstock Australia for a new collaboration.

Featuring an in-store gallery display and limited-edition tote bag available at Birkenstock's Australian flagship stores, the new creative collaboration spotlights the designer's niche talent of fusing culture across contemporary mediums.

Through this partnership Parker has reimagined Birkenstock's Super Birkis as hand-painted pieces that reflect her deep connection to Country.

From these unique artworks, Birkenstock selected their favourite design to create a limited-edition tote bag.

The tote will be available as a gift with purchases for a limited time, exclusively at the Birkenstock's flagship stores in Melbourne and Sydney.

"Each shoe tells a story of different parts of that journey, like driving through the beautiful trees until we finally arrive at the beach where my maningawu's (grandmother's) country is," Parker told Birkenstock Australia.

"When we arrive, we always greet our ancestors, saying 'hello' and telling them who our grandparents are.

"I wanted to embody that journey within these shoes as if you were walking in them.

"Then Birkenstock chose their favourite design and turned it into the tote. I was so happy with how it turned out."

In early-2024 a batch of Super-Birkis with minor colour imperfections arrived on Australian shores.

The mishap presented an opportunity for Birkenstock Australia and Parker to collaborate, creatively transforming faulty items into beautiful art pieces.

Over the course of several months, Parker reinvigorated five pairs of Super Birkis with her colourful designs, breathing new life into the shoes.

Parker says similar to the majority of her curations, the collaboration was deeply inspired by her Northern Territory upbringing.

"Like most of my work, it's based on landscapes and symbolises my Northern Territory upbringing. I remember always admiring the waterways and fields of grass around me," she said.

"My favourite time of year was during bush holidays on the Tiwi Islands, where we'd go camping and hunting with family. I'd picture those trips and how happy we were—being out there, away from the fast-paced life, and just present with each other."

In 2023, Parker launched her new collection titled 'Veins' at Melbourne Fashion Week.

On the runway, her vibrant designs were styled with the classic Birkenstock Super Birki clog, sparking the first connection between her and Birkenstock Australia.

"My 'Veins' collection looked amazing with the Super Birkis at MFW. I was so happy to see the styling come to life on the runway," Parker said.

"It took me back to when I graduated from the Whitehouse Institute of Design and interned with a New York shoe company called The Jibs Life, where I developed a passion for shoes and wearability.

"I've always been a fan of Birkenstock—my friends always rave about their next-level comfort—so seeing them on the runway was a pinch-me moment.

"I loved the colours and how they worked with my designs. It made me think about collaborating with Birkenstock someday, and now it's finally happened."

Although Clair Helen is based in Perth, all of Parker's designs are are deeply rooted in her culture and upbringing as a proud Tiwi woman, born and raised on Larrakia Country in the Northern Territory.

"Growing up, I'd travel by plane to the Tiwi Islands for school holidays or weekends to visit family, and I remember being in awe of the escarpment and terrain from high above," she said.

"Now, I equally love travelling by boat because the view is just as stunning. It was always an art in itself—seeing the landscape's lines, colours, and shapes coming together."

Birkenstock X Clair Helen tote bags are available exclusively at the following flagship stores.

Birkenstock Sydney City – 250 Pitt Street, Sydney, NSW

Birkenstock St Collins Lane – 297 Little Collins Street, Melbourne, VIC

Birkenstock Clifton Hill – 113–115 Queens Parade, Clifton Hill, VIC

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