In what has to be one of the stranger artist/fashion pairings, shoemaker Jimmy Choo has announced that artist Rob Pruitt will collaborate with the brand on a spring/summer 2012 capsule cruise collection.

“We were captivated by Pruitt’s energy, his computer screen use of color and the festive exuberance of his prints and materials; there were elements in his work that reminded us in subtle ways of the Jimmy Choo design iconography,” said Jimmy Choo creative directors Sandra Choi and Simon Holloway, according to British Vogue. “We sensed that Rob’s twist on Jimmy Choo glamour would yield something very collectible and uniquely beautiful.”

The artist has had a rollercoaster career, falling from stardom in 1992 when he, along with then-artistic-partner Jack Early, created a distasteful installation paying tribute to African-American culture by shrink-wrapping posters of black celebrities and creating their own hip-hop soundtrack. Pruitt was virtually dismissed from the art world until his comeback peace offering installation, the 1998 “Cocaine Buffet.” Known for his glittery panda paintings, which debuted in the early aughts, the Gavin Brown’s Enterprise artist also founded the bizarre Rob Pruitt Awards in 2010, a seriously-taken satirical ceremony for the art world. In 2011 he unveiled his silver, seven-foot-tall Andy Warhol statue in New York’s Union Square.

Pruitt’s fashion-related work includes a 2006 sculptural installation featuring blue jeans, and a staged flea market at Opening Ceremony’s Ace Hotel location, where visitors could browse through Pruitt's old clothes and knickknacks. 

The capsule collection, which will arrive in Jimmy Choo boutiques and online in November, will consist of shoes, handbags, and small leather accessories that reference Pruitt’s style.

Pruitt is the latest in a line of several artists who have collaborated with Jimmy Choo. Richard Phillips emblazoned his glamorous paintings on clutches in 2007, while Marilyn Minter and Nan Goldin have photographed campaigns for the brand. We wonder if the pandas or coke lines will appear on Pruitt’s collection.