Maison Margiela joins forces with American sportswear brand Reebok for a sneaker collaboration you never thought you needed. Using the concept of decortiqué that is so integral to the luxury haute couture’s brand identity, Maison Margiela reinterprets Reebok’s 1985 Classic Leather runner into the Classic Leather Tabi High, a new high-top leather trainer.

Decortiqué is a technical process pioneered by the French fashion house, whereby a garment is deconstructed to its core structural elements. By employing this technique, Creative Director John Galliano exposes the shoe’s innermost architecture to dig at the brand’s true authenticity. Available in four different color schemes, each iteration of the Classic Leather Tabi High embodies a different personality, yet simultaneously exhibits the innate, adventurous nature of both brands. Photographed in four separate cities by—Sydney, Tokyo, Cape Town and Turkey—the shoe morphs into the attitude of each city. For the first stop,  Maison Margiela x Reebok’s Tabi embrace the sci-fi surrealism in the dunes of South Africa’s ultimate sandboarding destination.

VMAGAZINE spoke with Cape Town’s location photographer, Michael Oliver Love about his process, see below for the full interview:

VMAGAZINE: How did you interpret this collection, and what did you set out to capture besides the collection itself?

Michael Oliver Love: I tried to capture a beautifully balanced, organic moment in time.

V: What resonates with you about the specific location you chose to shoot? Can you describe it?

MOL: I decided to shoot at the Atlantis Dunes, a stunning location just outside of Cape Town. I wanted to have my subject stand out against the rolling white hills. The layered looks and striking colors juxtaposed against the vast white space. The location is a blank canvas which allows you total freedom of movement and playfulness when creating.

V: If you had to summarize the collection in a few words, how would you describe it?

MOL: Structured flow. The collection is full of rich texture and unique silhouettes, from shredded denim to silky coats— it’s a wild ride.

V: What was your creative process like? What was inspiring to you or challenging?

MOL: I am always drawn to vivid color. So naturally, I was drawn to the more statement pieces of the collection, and the striking red of the sneakers. As I was tasked with capturing the sneakers I wanted to create a sense of movement and action to highlight them. Contrasting that against a clean, open landscape allows you total freedom to play and make magic.