ASICS and FIDAN NOVRUZOVA come together for a new chapter in the ASICS Crafts for Mind series. The project celebrates the shared values of craftsmanship, precision, and material innovation. Through this partnership, the Moldovan designer known for her sculptural forms and deeply tactile approach to design. Reinterprets ASICS’s GEL-CUMULUS™ 16, creating 100 hand-crafted pairs that merge the spirit of Japanese craftsmanship with her own contemporary aesthetic language.
Each pair is carefully finished using the very same premium leather of FIDAN NOVRUZOVA’s signature footwear and leather accessories. The sneaker is a custom design, entirely handmade, and considered an art object. It features a folded square tongue shape and oversized leather tassel that sits on top of laces. Nearly obscuring them, as if to question the silhouette of a sneaker entirely. The tassel details, specifically, are a nod to traditional shoemaking, calling to mind loafers and classic brogues, as well as the visual world of Art Deco. The era has been a key historical reference for FIDAN NOVRUZOVA, who have reimagined it for the modern woman since its launch in October 2020.
The project reflects ASICS’s Japanese design philosophy. A quiet pursuit of perfection through process, attention to detail, and respect for material. Fidan’s work, which often blurs the line between the artisanal and the experimental, finds harmony within this ethos, both grounded in the belief that design is an act of care and consideration.
About Fidan Novruzova Fidan Novruzova is a Paris-based fashion designer with Azerbaijanese and Moldovan roots. Since launching her brand in October 2020, Novruzova’s eponymous label has quickly established itself as a cult favourite amongst fashion’s new guard and tastemakers of today. In 2024, Novruzova was named an LVMH Prize semi- finalist and relocated her brand’s operations to Paris, further expanding its global presence and activities. The label is currently stocked at select leading retailers worldwide, including Voo Store, H. Lorenzo, Macondo, and etc. Conflating silhouettes and references from modern and bygone eras. Novruzova’s designs evoke an enduring and nostalgic exploration of the modern woman’s wardrobe.
