Gwen Stefani’s s/s2012 L.A.M.B. Collection – When Fashion by a Celebrity is a Good Thing

Text, Vivian Kelly

Celebrities have a bad rap in the fashion business. I’d taken a skeptical stance on the idea of the notion of celebrity as fashion designer, since the days when Kathie Lee Gifford “designed” a line for Wal-Mart, followed by legions of demi celebs such as Paris Hilton who capitalized on their fame to produce shoddy garments they themselves would never actually wear. The fact that THEY themselves wore Versace, Dolce & Gabbana, Oscar de la Renta etc etc. said it all.

There are exceptions however, that show that celebrities CAN [in conjunction with the right team] produce a credible fashion line. The first time I witnessed this was while attending a Justin Timberlake concert at Mohegan Sun, soon after his “Future Sex/Love Sounds” tour hit. Joe Zee did an amazing job styling him and Justin carried that white suit as well as John Travolta did his in “Saturday Night Fever”.

IT wasn’t William Rast, but I recall being stupefied when mid-way through the show, he sang a ballad in a plaid William Rast shirt and jeans. That night, I began reconsidering the celebrity as fashion designer issue and resolved to actually READ the WWD articles about Celebrity X designing a fashion line to see if others besides Justin were getting it right.

Good news. In the ranks of the “getting it right” are Justin Timberlake/William Rast, the Olsen Twins/Elizabeth and James, and the subject of this post, Gwen Stefani/L.A.M.B. Until this NYFW, the closest I got to Gwen’s line was seeing pieces at Nordstrom’s on the floor. I liked what I saw and longed to see her next collection in its entirety to see if she continued to follow-through on her branding message ie: herself  = a fun yet sophisticated version of cool.

A key ingredient for a brand’s success is to create an identity and to stick with your DNA. Domenico Dolce & Stefano Gabbana hit gold early in their career with the severe look of elderly Italian women clad in black crossed with sexy corsets and animal print that showed their idealized woman; one who possesses an intriguing angel-devil personality.

Gwen Stefani has similarly created a believable personality for her L.A.M.B line. She is known as a pop star who mixes classic glamour with funky contemporary clothing resulting in a mix that is the modern equivalent of Eighties’ pop star, Cyndi Lauper. Although physically these two don’t resemble one another, they share that irresistible “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” spirit that I’ve loved since Ms. Lauper debuted it in 1983 on MTV.

This season was my first L.A.M.B. show. I’m calling it a “show” even though technically, it was a presentation, set in the “Box” space – my favorite of the Lincoln Center Fashion Week venues as there’s usually little to no waiting, you can get as close as you want to the clothes and the models obligingly pose for shots.

The presentation was scheduled to start at 2:30p.m, but you wouldn’t have known that from the crowd assembled in the holding area when I arrived at 2:20. Normally tardy editors were in line waiting, snaked around the length of the tent to get what I guessed would be only a very quick glimpse of the latest L.A.M.B. collection and hopefully a look at the chanteuse cum fashion designer herself. [Ms. Stefani was not there, sigh.]

I  wiggled to the front of the 4-deep crowd huddled around the models posing on the white blocks, to scan the 23 looks. There was herringbone plaid, a leather moto jacket, some fun Ikat prints and quite a bit of Noir Jewelry; in short, no huge deviations from the brand’s DNA. Just an hour earlier at lunch with Scott French and Meredith Garcia of The Fashion List at Pain Quotidian, we all agreed that the best designers like writers find their voice and stick with it. Their customers appreciate this; can count on them to deliver the goods. Make no mistake – consistency is not boring, it is an asset.

A few months ago, a stroll on the floor at Nordstrom’s Westchester Mall verified this. Marc Jacobs Mark by Marc and L.A.M.B. stood out, because they didn’t need any store signage to identify them. That odd but adorable tweak like a teeny tiny print on a puff sleeve blouse- must be Marc. Black and white herringbone jackets and red accents? Must be L.A.M.B. – it was.

With all of this in the back of my mind, once finally, inside the Box, my first glimpse revealed black and white, this time as an Ikat print top worn with brown herringbone shorts accessorized with a skinny red belt, and towering platform sandals in black, red and cobalt – very Eighties!

The rock and roll portion of the brand was most apparent in the accessories, hair and makeup, namely a leather and gold shark tooth necklace heavily kohled eyes, straight black brows and a two- tone “Pebbles” from The Flintstones hairdo.

Many of the editors in the Tents were wearing this same up-do, minus the volume and two-tone.

Ms.Stefani hit the preppy trend square on with a v-front cream tennis sweater but unlike the one from your parents’ country club, this one is minus the unflattering bulk. The L.A.M.B sweater boasts fine knit gage stitching, which make it an ideal transition piece. These days, transition pieces are where it’s at. What could be better than playing a set of tennis, taking a shower, putting on the same sweater that you walked on the Courts with and getting-on with your day? There’s something for everyone here, and even one piece will up the fun quotient of your spring wardrobe.

Sebago’s Artisan Collection – Tradition Meets Innovative Style

You say “Tomatoe” I say “Tomahto”. The same goes with the shoe brand name, SEBAGO. No matter which way you elect to pronounce it, Sebago is a great brand. Sometime during NYFW, I fell into a huge clothing rut – I no longer knew what I wanted to wear, and despite a stuffed walk-in closet at home, nothing looked right. As I sat in Robert Verdi’s Luxe Laboratory, looking at the Sebago display, the answer came to me- preppy dressing.

By this, I mean how we used to dress in the late Seventies in Middle School and at Greenwich High. There was a uniform and it transitioned me into my freshman year at Duke. The early Eighties were a throwback period to conservatism. Ronald Reagan had just been elected President, and it was good to look WASP, ie: subtly rich. At this same time, Lisa Birnbach’s Preppy Handbook came out and served as the how-to get the look of affluence.

Key to the look is the boat shoe and the penny loafer. Anyone in Middle School who didn’t have Dock or Top Siders was a social outcast. One had a rounded toe, the other a square toe, and either was acceptable, as long as they were by Sperry. Only those most tuned into fashion back then knew that the ORIGINAL boat shoe was actually manufactured by SEBAGO, in 1946.  Friend, R. Scott French, fashion designer and co-owner of The Fashion List, was one of the few who KNEW. Little good this did him as his less enlightened Baltimore classmates kept insisting that his Sebago docks were “wrong” and their Sperrys were “right”.

Once at Duke, I swapped my topsiders for penny loafers in cordovan and wore them with jeans and some of my Mother’s tweed blazers and a prize Diana Vreeland red tweed blazer [with suede elbow patches]through fall and early winter.

Years later, I remembered my beloved topsiders and loafers while flipping through the September 2011 People’s Special Fashion Issue, with the blaring headline, “Kate’s Style Secrets!”. On p. 51 lay the answer to my “Whatever Do I Wear?” crisis. There, at the top of the page, were a pair of Sebago “Bala” mocassins, with an oily wax finish that looked great with Kate’s J Brand jeans and a simple button down shirt.

Years later, at the Luxe Lab, I learned from Tracee Yang, Harrison & Shriftman’s PR Rep, that today’s Sebagos are all hand made in the Dominican Republic.  They’ve kept the original designs we love but they’ve added some great fashion twists, by collaborating with artists such as Stash, an innovator in urban design who exhibited alongside the late Keith Haring, when he was 17 years old. Since then, he’s added a commercial aspect to his work, by collaborating with Nike and A Bathing Ape. We loved his short moc/boot that laces up and has a bit of spatter treatment to toughen up this beloved preppy staple.

Another noteworthy collaboration is with the Filson, a “better outdoor clothing company” that was established in 1897 in Seattle, by C.C. Filson, a former railroad conductor. His fledgling outdoor clothing store took off thanks to the Great Klondike Gold Rush [1897-9].

Sebago has mixed Filson’s oil tint cloths with Sebago leathers, most notably in a ruggedly handsome bag that’s also very practical. The bags are available exclusively in Bloomingdales’ selected NYC, Santa Monica, LA, and 59th Street.

Sure to be an editorial success are the women’s collection with Kimmie Smith, who’s known for her “nuvo glam style”. She’s already done a small collection for fall that’s being well received, but lookout for the spring collection, which will be available online in February and March. You’ll have to wait until then to pickup her irresistible colorful docksides.

For now, if you’re a guy, or shopping for one, you’re in luck. There’s a nice assortment of styles at the Sebago popup store at Saks 5^th Ave. on the 7^th floor. The salesmen there couldn’t be nicer. Seeing I was near tears after slogging through the rain to discover Saks isn’t yet carrying the Plaza and Bala Sebagos I wanted, they directed me to East 34^th Street. It was there, thanks to them, that I finally scored, at Orva Shoes, just like they said, at 34 West 34^th Street.

Now, I just have to wait until late October, for my pair of “Balas” to come in. I’ve just put in my order for the first tall boot I’ve bought in years – the Saranac, which has a stylish tweed panel offsetting the rich light brown leather and a practical lug sole.

The Callula Lillibelle s/s2012 Show at the Box, Lincoln Center

Text, Vivian Kelly

It was early in the morning, mid-way through NYFW, and in the dash from our West 56th Street hotel to the Lincoln Center tents to go backstage for Callula Lillibelle, no time for some sorely needed coffee. The lobby at Lincoln Center was weirdly empty, but Neiman Marcus’ Fashion Director, Ken Downing was there, Starbucks in hand, and we stopped by to chat and to get a bead on what one of fashion’s sharpest forcasters thought of the New York s/s2012 season so far. I mentioned we were on our way to chat with William Calvert, backstage at Callula Lillibele.

“Is it Neiman’s?” Ken asked us as Mark [Behnke, of Fashion Tribes],whiled- away those few pleasant moments before hitting backstage.

Good question. I replied, “Hm, well there was a great coat I saw last time.”

“Honey, it takes more than one coat to be in Neiman Marcus” he joked. It struck me then, how hard his job is. I kept that question in mind a few minutes later, as I watched the models get into their looks and pose on the white backdrop backstage, presumably for the lookbook that would be in stores for spring.

I finally actually “met” the designer, William Calvert, after an aborted attempt to record our phone conversation a few months earlier, in which he told me that C.L. had a few winning silhouettes that worked well from size 2-12 and that he worked on tweaking the winning formula each season. I botched that interview, but this describes Callula’s mission – to make women look good and to as the French so aptly put it, “look comfortable in their skin”, and to be proud of their curves.

During our backstage interview, that took place in front of the scrim where the models were posting for the look book, William said “Callula Lillibelle is primarily a dress collection” and in answer to our other question, “it sells at Saks”. Unsurprisingly, the strongest looks were dresses such as the lemon/silver stretch tweed boatneck one that would look as good on a curvy woman as on the size zero models posing in the Box presentation.Best in show was the white “Penelope Cruz” – that had a beautiful wrap front bodice, that was both glamorous and practical.

While pointing to the models posing in front of him , he told  us that he was inspired by strong curvy fashion icons such as Sofia Lauren, Penelope Cruz, Beyonce and Rihanna. Clients and fans include curvy ladies such as Oprah and Gayle King.

There were though, non-dress looks that stood-out, such as the right-on-trend pink jacquard jacket over an ivory dot lace tank and ivory pin dot slouchy shorts. It seems that grown women really WILL be wearing shorts to work, after all. Both looked great with a pair of chic Stuart Weitzman pumps.

 

 

To answer Ken’s question, ["Is it Neiman's?"], we concurred that Callula is a solid collection that is perfectly placed at Saks, rather than Neiman’s which houses cutting edge design and where shoppers go to find what they expect to see on the pages of US Vogue. The Neiman’s woman is one who counts fashion and her wardrobe in her top three life priorities. Neiman’s top customers have Ken on speed dial.

By contrast, Saks and Callula are more mellow in their approach to fashion. This brand offers an excellent fit and the fact that the designs do not vary radically from season to season is reassuring to women who want some style but who don’t want a whole new wardrobe each and every season. This collection fits her lifestyle, as while she enjoys her fashion, she doesn’t want [or need] it delivered at warp speed. She paces herself with easy to wear fashions such as Callula. Fashion and her wardrobe are important but rank lower on the priority list, and like Saks, there is a sense of decorum in her attitude. Despite the year-round throng of tourists and buzz, the Saks Fifth Avenue flagship continues to maintain the air of stately dignity when well-to-do ladies shopped there on their way to lunch and their choice of gloves was an important matter. Similarly, Callula also possesses that gracious sensibility but there’s no better way to experience it than to slip on one of William’s dresses and to see for yourself.

>Tobi.com gets A Whole New Look That’s Definitely Worth a Look

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TEXT, VIVIAN KELLY

UNTIL VERY RECENTLY, I WAS NOT that much of a fan of Internet shopping. By “shopping”, I mean shopping for clothing or jewelry. In the past, my excursions on the Internet have yielded mixed results.
There was the red tartan plaid vest I HAD TO HAVE from Lands’ End which I saw at a preview event. I was in the midst of my tartan phase and ordered it as soon as it showed up as “available” on www.landsend.com
I wore it once and back it went – it was too thin.
Sometime before that, there was the attempt to buy a “simple” one-piece swimsuit online through www.jcrew.com
I thought I had that one covered as I’d ordered several styles in size 2 and 4 – just to be sure. THAT ended up with a trip to the bricks and mortar store at which point, I gave up and returned everything. Happily, I discovered SWANKINI’s mix and match bathingsuits at that low point.
[Swankini got a post a few months back on TheFE]
Maison Martin Margiela
Melly Suede Platform Ankle Boots

Recently, like everyone else, I’m fascinated by glam sites such as www.giltgroupe.com and www.ideeli.com and now most recently, with www.tobi.com
I’m proud to have TOBI.COM as my advertiser. The other sites are great, but….
I’m not knocking them, and I’ve bought a few smaller things such as luxury candles and towels and been very happy but I didn’t like the competitive aspect of having to preview GILT the night before and competing for items I liked when the clock strikes 12 noon and the auction goes off. I belong to both but the “Sale ends in 1 day” bugs me as I’m usually just too busy to schedule this kind of thing in. What got me TO SHOP on the Internet in the first place was the notion that I could do it whenever I wanted. Can’t sleep at 2a.m? No prob – start window shopping on the laptop until you’re feeling productive enough to actually do some work, or relaxed, just go back to bed.

tobi’s new site is a shop WHEN YOU feel like it proposition. Yes, there are sales [love those!] but they’re on for a while. The biggest draw of the newly redesigned site is that it’s practically goof-proof. I fell in love with two items, really hard. The first is a red and white stripe “twist tie striped halter dress” from Maison Martin Margiela that’s perfect for my trip to Mexico in April. By spending a minute checking it out, I can see how the dress looks from every conceivable angle and because they even tell you the model’s measurements, I can imaging how it would look ON ME.
Leslie, the model, is wearing a size small, and they even provide her measurements. Like any good personal shopper [which this site comes close to being] Tobi tells you about the designer, and provides styling tips. Not sure which accessories would work? No problem. Tobi suggests Melly Suede Platform Ankle Boots in Grey by ROSEGOLD and a Leather Triangle Cocktail Ring by HOUSE OF HARLOW.
Leather Triangle Cocktail Ring

Guess what? I clicked on those links and found that I LOVE House of Harlow and had always intended to investigate Nicole Ritchie’s brand, but never got around to it. Tobi made it really easy and convenient. As some woman’s bumper sticker read, “The New Busy is not the Old Busy”, and as such convenience is key, critical really, when it comes to deciding between your many options.
In the end, I didn’t find the stylish PJ’s I’d hoped to locate on Tobi, but I DID find a missing item in my wardrobe AND it’s on sale. The Matt Bernson “Gitanes Parisian Smoking Shoes” reduced from $154 to $92 are EXACTLY what I need to go with the vintage Rena Lange smoking suit I snagged for $35 at Deja Vu Consignment before Xmas.
Matt Bernson Gitanes Parisian Smoking Shoes

My only fear – that I’ve waited too long and someone grabbed the last pair of size 8′s when I was busy writing this post.

Every fashionista has a story about “the one that got away”. What’s yours? I’d love to know! Share your story in the “comments” section of TheFE.
**LAST, but not least, use my unique promo code “EXAM20” for 20% off orders to all you readers who order after reading this post!!

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>MAD FOR MILITARY – ONE OF FALL’S KEY LOOKS THAT’S STRETCHING INTO SPRING

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TEXT, VIVIAN KELLY

One of the beauties of being “a fashion veteran” is that I can with all honesty say, “Oh, I’ve seen THAT before” – at least another version of whatever “that” is.
TAKE THE MILITARY LOOK THAT’S ALL OVER THE PAGES OF SEPTEMBER’S HARPER’S BAZAAR. It pops u on pp. 308, 320, 396, 481, and 508. Flip through your issue or visit www.harpersbazaar.com, and it will pop right up at you. . I’M USING THE PREVIEWS I’VE BEEN SEEING AS AN INDICATOR THAT THE FALL MILIARY TREND WILL EXTEND INTO SPRING. MILITARY HISTORICALLY POPS BACK UP ON THE FASHION RADAR SCREEN IN TIMES WHEN THE ECONOMY IS IN A SLUMP. THE LAST WAVE WAS IN THE EARLY NINETIES, when I started out as a part-time PR Assistant to Michael Kors, reporting to the exotically gorgeous LEYLA BASAKINSKI.

My knee-jerk reaction was to run upstairs to my huge attic and pull-out my long black vintage Michael Kors coat. I still have and cherish it. The long sweeping coat was the first important piece I received as part of my clothing allowance while I started there, at the West 24th Street Studio, around the corner from the infamous BILLY’S TOPLESS. After mulling it over, I brought it down to take to the dry cleaner’s and started trying to figure out how I could make it current.
For inspiration, I scanned the PEOPLE’S REVOLUTION preview pics for the upcoming s/s2011 NICHOLAS K Collection. Designer Nicholas Kunz, will be showing a “strong utilitarian inspired collection [which] takes on a rugged but avant-garde military vibe infused with dusty, earth color tones and a modern spin on classic looks.” Ms. Kunz’s latest effort implements a military color palette of rich army greens and browns, creams and navy blues. She updates it by adding striped checks and combinations such as woodland and fog camouflage. Little touches like the smoke colored aviator glasses and the high heeled lace-up booties help make a statement. The olive drab outerwear she’ll be showing at her LINCOLN CENTER SHOW at the MERCEDES BENZ S/S NY SHOWS highlights the MILITARY FEEL of her spring collection. FEEL IS THE KEY HERE. JUST AN ELEMENT OR TWO WILL DO IT. Ms. Kunz’s collection is interesting because it suggests that we’ll be moving into UTILITARIANISM. If there were ever a time to be practical, this is it. Pundits and experts on www.cnbc.com are now predicting two more years of recession.

This is NOT a combat boot moment, which is a little scary, and too literal by far. You do NOT want to look as if you belong in the cast of the 1981 German Art house flick, “Das Boot” from the early nineties. THE SOLUTION TO UPDATING MILIARY LIES IN FOCUSING ON BORROWING THE COLORS ASSOCIATED WITH MILITARY. Michael Kors hits squarely on it with a soft olive sweater and skirt in his fall 2010 collection show accessorized with little cashmere cap and sexy brown leather sandals. Your take on military COULD BE A GREAT SHOE, LIKE THE CUTOUT CESARE PACIOTTIS FEATURED ON p. 508 of Harper’s Bazaar, or OLIVE AND BRONZE NAILCOLORS, IF YOU’RE THE CAUTIOUS SORT.
If you’re stuck for ideas, have a look at www.netaporter.com.
They’ve joined forces with Harper’s to teamed up to bring you some must-haves items, many retailing for under $500.
THE BOTTOM LINE: TRY FOR A FEMINIZED VERSION OF THE LOOK.
Atten-hut!

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>CLOGS – THE CLASSIC LIVES-ON, PERFECT FOR STOMPING DOWN THE RUNWAYS OR JUST AROUND THE HOUSE

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TEXT, VIVIAN KELLY

There they were – in the DÉJÀ VU Designer Consignment Shop, in Portchester, NY – of all places. I’d dreamt of owning a pair years ago, while serving as Michael Kors’ PR Director, way back in the mid- Nineties. ASHLEY KENNEDY, then my newly minted intern, came in on her first day wearing a burgundy red pair. Ashley had wonderful accessories, so it wasn’t a huge surprise when a few years later, she scored a job as Accessories Editor for Elle Magazine.
I was in love with her patent leather clogs, with gold tone nail detail and the classic Gucci Horsebit. I walked home that night, marveling about this guy no one had ever heard of – TOM FORD – who had just officially taken over as Design Director for Gucci. Here was true genius, someone who had made the dorky clog into something I couldn’t peel my eyes off of.

There have been other clogs in my life since then – camel brown DANSKOS – UNBEATABLE AFTER BUNION SURGERY[I've had two], and the OKABASHI red ones I now wear when I want to treat myself to a little reflexology. They also get top marks as a cute alternative to bulky rain boots when it’s gross and wet out and you want to keep your feet dry. Okabashis are made in the good old USA, in Buford, Georgia. They’re reflexology-based [but don't hurt like the Adidas Adissage sandals - 20 minutes max in these for me, thank you]. Okabashis are endorsed by the American Chiropractic Association, BUT ARE MINUS THE FRUMP FACTOR THAT USUALLY GOES ALONG WITH THAT ENDORSEMENT. If you think rubber shoes get smelly, that’s not a concern, Okabashis are anti-microbial. Just throw them in the dishwasher, and voila! They’re sanitized. They’re guaranteed for 2 years, and when you’re done, they’re 100% recyclable.

THE BOTTOM LINE: OKABASHIS= FASHIONABLE + AFFORDABLE RECYCLING.

A clog discussion would be incomplete without mentioning the ONCE UBIQUITOUS CROC CLOG. I understood their appeal for the Elementary School Crowd, but Adult Women [non-nurses]? Shame on you for wearing these ANYWHERE other than while you’re gardening. I can’t think of anyone who would voluntarily wear these “Croc Bermuda” pair that resemble Laura Ashley sheets from the early eighties. CROCS have since diminished in popularity and I laughed out loud when I saw their kiosk at the Mall, right next to the Pet Rock Stand. Like in real estate, a BIG FACTOR OF A SUCCESSFUL RETAILER IS LOCATION. WHO ARE YOUR NEIGHBORS? Pet rocks that glow in the dark? How unfortunate. One last lash-out concerns CROC’S BRAZEN BRAND-EXPANSION, NAMELY RIDING ON THE COATTAILS OF OLD SUCCESSFUL COMPANIES SUCH AS KEDS. Why would I buy Croc’s knock-off version when I can get the real deal at Keds?

Back to the Guccis. Today, I finally added THOSE VINTAGE PATENT LEATHER GUCCI CLOGS to my designer shoe collection. I’ll be proudly stomping around Lincoln Center and Milk Studio, doing the rounds in my black pair while running around at the upcoming NY Fashion Week, reporting for www.thefashionexaminer.blogspot.comSadly, Tom Ford no longer designs for Gucci, but TOM IS ONE OF THOSE RARE DESIGNERS WHO CREATED A CLASSIC. HIS GUCCI CLOG GOES TO SHOW THAT A TRUE CLASSIC IS ALWAYS SOMETHING WORTH INVESTING IN, AND LOOKS AS GOOD TODAY AS IT DID OVER A DECADE AGO.
IF WE’RE REALLY LUCKY, THIS SEASON, WE’LL BE TREATED TO A NEW “GOTTA HAVE IT” CLASSIC, THAT SOME YOUNG UNKNOWN HAS ON TAP FOR US AT THE UPCOMING COLLECTIONS. STAY TUNED.

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>George Esquivel’s Exquisite Handmade Shoes for Men AND Women

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TEXT, VIVIAN G. KELLY & LAURA WOOD
Images, Richard Spiegel

DAY TWO – 240 West 35th Street, the Garment Center, NYC

Designer George Esquivel’s exquisite hand crafted shoes, are a hit with an elite clientele including high-profile celebrities. His reticence in bragging about his celebrity clientele goes against the S.O.P [standard operating procedure] of designers and their publicists shouting out from the rooftops who their famous clients are. This designer is refreshingly discreet on the matter.

Esquivel shoes are for the in the know crowd who truly appreciate
quality workmanship. Mr. Esquivel hand polished and treats each pair of shoes, spending an average of 6-8 hours perfecting a pair. He starts with “nude leather”, which is the same leather Louis Vuitton uses for its straps.

The couture-like experience continues when you go to the salon to purchase a pair. We liked the description of his LA store/salon on 3rd street, behind Beverly Center. which sounds delightfully genteel.

COLLABORATIONS play a big part in Mr. Esquivel’s business.
Esquivel works well with others. Although he’s only in his 2nd year of
wholesale, this season he has collaborations with Zero+ Maria Cornejo,
Timo Weiland, Loden Dager, Antonio Berardi and Juan Carlos Obando. The thigh-high lace-up shoe covers he did for Juan Carlos Obando were sheer genius. Okay, it took 45 minutes to get them on the models, but sometimes you DO have to suffer to be beautiful and sexy.

AN ADDED PLUS: these shoes are made domestically.
Price point
men’s – $600-900
women’s – $700-2000

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>KEDS – THERE’S NOTHING LIKE A CLASSIC!

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BY VIVIAN G. KELLY-VAN ZUTPHEN

LIKE THE INIMITABLE “COUNTESS LOUISE ESTERHAZY, AKA JOHN FAIRCHILD, as of late, we’ve found ourselves nostalgic for the golden oldies. Our G.O. list includes: KEDS [in navy blue canvas], Chanel No. 5, Docksiders, skinny wale cords, Adidas track suits, emerald cut diamond rings and oval sapphire rings.

At the top of the spectrum is Grace Kelly’s spectacular engagement ring from HARRY WINSTON. Prince Rainer proposed with the 12 carat emerald cut diamond ring with two baguettes, mounted in platinum. The ring makes an appearance in the movie “High Society” which Grace starred in that year.
Quality, does NOT have to be expensive though. We got the ring of our dreams – a 4 ½ carat Ceylon sapphire ring, mounted in 14k white gold with 2 tiny diamonds flanking it for under $500. The real savings was the stone – found in a jewelry store in Puerto Vallarta for a whopping $92 US.
That though, was the find of a decade.
KEDS- A CLASSIC YOU CAN GET – NOW
Most accessible though are those iconic KEDS. We’ve been wearing ours 5 days straight since they arrived on our doorstep. They’re repped by NY PR powerhouse, LAFORCE + STEVENS.
We’ve picked-out some of our favorites for guys and girls. Amazingly, none of them will run you more than $60 this spring. They even have a customization program in which you can design your own shoe. For you eco-minded fashionistas, you can pick from their eco line. With that kind of choice and price-point AND the fact that “BELLA” of the TWILIGHT series wore them in “Twilight” and “New Moon”, it’s only a matter of time until you’ll start seeing them on every tweens’ feet come this spring. Who knows? They may replace the much more expensive ubiquitous UGGS.
We’re keeping our fingers crossed.

Keds – A little History
In 1916, Keds created an American Classic: the first shoe with a soft rubber sole and coined the term “sneaker.” This original sneaker, called “the Champion” has remained a style icon for over ninety years and a fave of style icons Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe and Jackie O. Today, a new generation such as “Bella” has discovered the Keds brand.
ABOUT PRO-Keds
PRO-Keds is the shoe you wear when you’re BBQing in the backyards and dropping in on a pickup game. The PRO-Keds classic Royal comes in both canvas high and low tops, and features a red and blue power stripe on the midsole – the unmistakable PRO-Keds signature.
To learn more about Keds, visit the official website, www.keds.com

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>Accessories Lust: FINSK shoes at the Ports 1961 S/S 2010 Show

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TEXT, VIVIAN G. KELLY

We’ve been Ports 1961 fans since the beginning, when Tia Cibanni showed in the loft where she’d end up having her showroom at 601 West 26th Street.
What keeps drawing us in are of course, the beautiful clothes that appeal to our boho spirit and the off the charts accessories that are the result of that season’s particular collaboration.

For spring, all anyone’s talking about, it seems, are shoes. Many of the shoes in question were not meant for walking but rather for talking [about].
Squarely in this category – JULIA LUNDSTEN’s FINSK label shoes that had heads swiveling back & forth to have a better look when they teetered down the Ports runway.
WHAT’S SO SPECIAL -
For starters, Manolo [as in Blahnik] is a fan, so much so that he didn’t stop at calling Ms. Lundsten’s creations, “exquisite, divine, & perfect”. He awarded her the Manolo Blahnik Award 2 years running. On her trophy shelf also sits the Young Designer of the Year Award from Finland.

Awards aside, the genius of her design finds its inspiration from nature and structures found in natural architecture. Most interesting are the HEELS, many made from sustainable exotic hardwood.
Whether you want them as objets d’art or are brave enough to wear them, you’ll be wanting a pair this spring.

Photo Credits
Images of shoes,from FINSK at FINSK
Image of Julia Lundsten, from www.designfinland.blogs.com
To view additional images, visit FINSK on Facebook.

Weight-in on this post! It is:

amusing

informative

snarky

Makes me want to buy it

>REQUIRED READING: THE TOWERING WORLD OF JIMMY CHOO

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TEXT, VIVIAN G. KELLY
The Tagline on the front cover of Crowe and De Rosen’s book says it all, “A glamorous story of power, profits, and the pursuit of the perfect shoe”.

LAUREN GOLDSTEIN CROWE and SAGRA MACEIRA De ROSEN really delivered the goods with this page turning tale, only it’s not a fairy tale – but a real life cautionary tale that should be required reading for any designer, new and old.

PLOT SUMMARY

Jimmy Choo [a real person] was a graduate of the prestigious Cordwainers school, who toiled in obscurity in a tiny workshop in London’s East End. All that changed when then-Voguette, Tamara Yeardye [later, Mellon] discovered him and made him a star. The book digs and paints a sometimes less than flattering portrait of the principal players. “By 1995, the partying was getting to be too much for her. Tamara was more often than not walking into Vogue House with a hangover. In May 1995 she resigned her position at Vogue and packed herself off to a rehab facility. … Six weeks later Tamara was back in London committed to a new business idea sh had devised. One of the first calls she made when she returned was to her favorite shoemaker – Jimmy Choo.” [p. 11].

The authors hold you captive – they did their research and no one is safe from their scrutiny – including Jimmy who is not the victim he tried to convey he was to the press. Neither is Tamara the wicked witch of the West. If nothing else, The Towering World of Jimmy Choo is a lesson in the old adage, “business is business”.

Knowing the background of this brand will give you a whole different outlook when you’re shopping the new H&M – Jimmy Choo Collection that opens Saturday, November 14th. There’s a whole lot more to this brand than knowing that “Carrie” from Sex & the City likes to wear Jimmies.

The Towering World of Jimmy Choo is a Bloomsbury Press Publication, hardcover $26, is available on amazon.com

Weight-in on this post! It is:

amusing

informative

snarky

Makes me want to buy it