Mach & Mach’s CEO on New Pop-Ups, Mini-Me Line Launch

Social media footwear sensation Mach & Mach is upping its commitment to brick-and-mortar locations.

The brand, which was launched in 2012 by Georgian sisters Nina and Gvantsa Macharashvili and is best known for its Instagram-friendly heels embellished with crystal-encrusted bows, is deepening the relationship with its network of retailers by opening a series of pink-hued pop-ups and shop-in-shops worldwide.

After unveiling a permanent space in Doha’s Place Vendôme, the brand recently launched a branded corner at Rinascente in Milan and at Breuninger in Dusseldorf, to be followed by another pop-up at the German department store’s outpost in Monaco next month. Starting June 5, the brand will also have a dedicated space at Central Chidlom in Bangkok.

Chief executive officer Irakli Kikolashvili underscored the importance of the strategy in terms of visibility and brand awareness, as well as choice of locations. For one, Thailand is among the countries with most potential for the brand while Italy already represents Mach & Mach’s second biggest market, accounting for 25 percent of its total distribution. Kikolashvili said the pop-up at Rinascente was a natural extension of the relationship with the retailer, which was among the first stores to have supported the company since its beginnings.

Overall, Kikolashvili recalled how the brand boomed in 2020 – when its dazzling double bow style went viral online and tapped into the revenge dressing trend at the time – and how providing a physical experience to customers is key in the post-COVID-19 era. 

“After that period, it’s obvious that people want to have the experience in store, so we’re trying to change the direction a little bit and expand our brick-and-mortar business… because we want to show the quality and beauty of our product, which you can’t really feel online,” said Kikolashvili. “But we are very carefully considering who to work with because our distribution is not very big, which is also part of the brand strategy.”

To this end, Kikolashvili said the brand’s positioning is key. “We have a luxury product and where it is shown is super important,” he said.

Mach & Mach’s current distribution footprint is comprised of 75 international prime retailers, including the likes of Harrods, Browns, Lane Crawford, Ounass, Level Shoes, ShopBop, Boon The Shop, in addition to Net-a-porter, Moda Operandi, LuisaViaRoma, Ssense, Mytheresa.

Kikolashvili said the brand’s top market is the U.S., where Mach & Mach first launched with Nordstrom as its exclusive partner in 2022, before expanding to Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue.

Following the U.S. and Italy, the Middle East is the third best-performing market for the company, which aims to build on the space opened in Doha with shop-in-shops in Dubai and Kuwait in the next two to three months. 

In addition to giving a better representation to the brand, the physical outposts will serve the company to connect and engage with its clients even more closely and receive their feedback directly. 

The latter aspect has been pivotal in the creative evolution of the label, since the assortment gradually expanded to tap into women’s different occasions of use, with loafers, riding boots, ballerina flats and lower heights increasingly flanking its signature party heels. Mach & Mach has also ventured beyond its double crystal bow with new details, such as heart shapes, studs and pearls, as seen in the spring 2024 collection and in new best-sellers such as the Mermaid Pearl sandals.

To meet demand, the brand is also working on introducing a baby line. “It’s actually something that came from our customers: they directed us to this idea because they wanted to have this mini-me situation and hopefully we will have some news for them soon,” said Kikolashvili, who’s eyeing a first launch with five retailers by the end of the year.

The new category will diversify the average age of the Mach & Mach’s cult following of young, digital-savvy clients. Yet for Kikolashvili there’s not a specific demographic of reference, rather an attitude shared among the different women attracted to the brand.

“Maybe the perception is that this is a party [brand,] but to be honest, when I talk to our creative directors, it’s clear that it’s more about joy… We strive to bring confidence and empower women with our product, which is very joyful and distinctive,” said the ceo. He recalled asking the Macharashvili sisters their purpose and shared that since their childhood the duo “wanted to create something they couldn’t find in any shop. So that’s why our product is not basic.”

The brand’s signifiers, like the double bows and symbol of infinity were also picked to evoke the family tie and emotional connection between the founders, and turned to become bywords for a sense of sisterhood across the label’s community.

Through the years, Mach & Mach accessories – including the growing bag category – has drawn Beyoncé and Dua Lipa, among many others. Recent placements include Camila Mendes and Sydney Sweeney wearing the Corset black patent pumps, Jennifer Lopez carrying the double bow black velvet Samantha handbag and Sita Abellan wearing the Beauty of Antoinette pink satin slingbacks.

In addition to its popular accessories, the brand has also a ready-to-wear line, encompassing ribbed tank tops, mini dresses and tailored pieces punctuated by dainty details, little bows, crystal-encrusted embellishments and beaded fringes. Mach & Mach garments were recently worn by the likes of Sharon Stone, Jessica Chastain, Tiffany Haddish and Heidi Klum, to name a few. 

The apparel range was part of the brand since the very beginning, but once the founders relocated the creativity of the label from Tbilisi to Italy around 2020, the shoe business boomed and the duo decided to channel all energies on boosting and cementing their footwear proposition first.

“Now we’re paying more attention to ready-to-wear and it is increasing season after season… But the most important thing is to make it grow under the same values and brand identity [of shoes] in order not to confuse customers,” said Kikolashvili. “Even though [ready-to-wear] is not a huge business, it’s very healthy… It gives us the opportunity to communicate and express the brand even more… and for sure it’s also helping the business not to be entirely dependent on just one [category].”

All Mach & Mach products are made in Italy. The company acquired a 43,055-square-foot factory in the shoemaking district of Parabiago, near Milan, to further improve its production.

“Our factory is giving us the opportunity to experiment more,” confirmed the ceo. “We try to be innovative, implementing new ideas and taking the quality to excellency, but the factory also enables us to control delivery dates and have a better customer service. Because luxury doesn’t mean only the product but also the service,” he added.

Last year, the firm also established corporate offices in the country and celebrated the opening of a showroom in the heart of Milan. It additionally started to present its new collections as part of the city’s fashion week calendar, decamping from Paris Fashion Week.

Overall, Mach & Mach employs around 80 people between Italy and Georgia, where the administrative part of the business is still based.