| Raphael Young is the Paris-based shoe designer who loves contradictions and antagonisms. Young has a liking for sketching and building a shoe only to take it apart again, a stop-and-start-again process he calls deconstruction. |
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| Despite a mentioned deviation from the streamlined norm, “quirky” would not be the first word that comes up to my mind when describing footwear created by Raphael Young. The plexiglass and carbon heels, mirrored bottoms and sensuous curves suggest a sort of futuristic femininity. |
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| Here I would like to present you a new shoe collection from the designer created for Fall – Winter 2010/11. If you have not seen creations by the designer be ready that they will change your view of fashion and approach to footwear significantly. And even if you do not set your heart on futuristic shapes and structural heels, you will doubtlessly fell in love with the shoes presented by Raphael Young. Here they are. |
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| Young’s designs are, no doubt, functional art. I love his attention to details. Faceted and structural heels look fantastic! And the materials the footwear comes in are pretty! |
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| Making every shoe himself from stitch to finish, the designer drew his influences for his Fall – Winter 2010/11 collection from heliocentric theory, which results in heels and boots that look like a whole army of Stormtroopers and Darth Vader doppelgangers perched atop sculptural heels that could have been plucked right off the surface of a planet far, far away. |
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| The shoes come in black and white colors, while there are some hues of blue and wine red. I love that the collection is versatile – it includes all types of footwear from thigh-high boots to open toe pumps. Metallic inserts, classic buckles, zippers, lacing and fur add a zest to every shoe in the line. The result is akin to couture. |
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| Summer 2010 sees Flower Power blossom in the heart of London as Liberty celebrates its famous florals with a year-long program of activity and events championing creativity, rebellion and love. The most flamboyant and sensational in this Flower Power is an exclusive and limited edition capsule collection by Nicholas Kirkwood using Liberty fabric. |
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The shoe designer presented a series of gorgeous and creative shoes among which are Santa Maria Platform Sandals, Santa Maria Peep Toe Shoes and Bounty Platform Sandals.
Santa Maria Peep Toe Shoe is a classic peep toe pump featuring a rose lacquer heel made in Liberty print. Santa Maria is a herringbone repeat Rock n’ Roll tea dress print from the early 90s with a crepe de chine finish. Personally I love floral print that makes the peep toe stand out much. And it is available for £410.00. |
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| Santa Maria Platform Sandal is a cut out detail sandal featuring a buckle strap and cigarette heel and the ubiquitous platform made in Liberty print. This season not a single designer can do without buckles. The motto of the season is The more buckles, the better. The platform sandal is sold for £560.00. |
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| And the last shoe in the line is a so called Bounty Platform Sandal that also features a trendy buckle strap and cigarette heel. The ubiquitous platform is made in Liberty print. In this shoe I love numerous straps. That always looks stylish, elegant and sexy. And the price for this work of art is as much as £560.00. In comparison with other shoe novelties by famous designers, the price for every item in this line is quiet reasonable. |
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| Nicholas Kirkwood is known for designing unusual shoes. By the way, recently we could see his masterpiece described in Top 5 Creative & Extravagant Shoes where his Illuminated Shoes are included in the list of the most striking shoe designs. |
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| You might have noticed that the catwalks were awash with leopard print for Fall –Winter 2010. Christian Louboutin, Balmain, Roberto Cavalli and Jimmy Choo all presented their updates on this classic print. Now the leopard print is everywhere from ballet flats to fur boots. In fact, some fashion experts say that animal prints have become virtually timeless, especially in accessories such as shoes. Some even judge them just like basic black shoes, something that is timeless and matches nearly everything. |
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| Leopard print shoes for women seamlessly shifted from trendy to iconic. However there is a huge risk that makes it tacky instead of glamorous. The trick to wearing leopard print shoes effectively is to know your limits. To start with, you might wear only one printed item, for example an animal-print belt, scarf, handbag or shoes. |
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| Another option is to wear two different animal prints at the same time, like a lovely pair of leopard print shoes with a zebra-striped handbag. But this seems far more difficult to do without looking excessive. |
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| The little black or red dress goes perfectly with the classic leopard print pumps. Besides, the type of fabric should complement the finish of your leopard print shoes. And remember to keep accessories to a minimum. Wear classic pieces in platinum or white gold. |
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| As you can see the majority of celebrities own at least one pair of animal print shoes as wearing them women look more confident, vivid and seductive. Worn in the right way, leopard print can ooze luxury and add instant sex appeal. |
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| Kate Hudson, Christina Aguilera, Kate Moss, Kim Kardashian, Paloma Faith and many other famous singers and catresses have been showing us how it’s done by brightening a plain outfit with a splash of print on their shoes. From trendy to classy, leopard print shoes have become an icon for femininity in fashion. |
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| One of the best ways to stand out and even shock is your footwear. If you put on any of the shoes listed below, you will definitely be in the centre of attention and discussions. If it is what you need, choose the best option for you, if not, just enjoy the pictures. |
| • Form & Texture Shoes. This is the shoe designed by Andreia Chaves. It exhibits a disciplined study of form and material while keeping just enough chaos to stay interesting. The contradiction here is the seemingly indestructible framework fused with the disorderly arranged leather and sycamore wood cubes. The contours create a theatrical statement nothing short of impressive. |
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| • Illuminated Shoes. London based famous shoe designer Nicholas Kirkwood is known for extravagant approach to fashion. Recently he has created a series of illuminated high heel shoes for Rodarte’s Fall – Winter collection 2010/2011. |
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| • Flower Shoes. While these are definitely not everyday shoes, they would be lovely for a bride or brides maids. They were debuted as part of Scherer Gonzalez’ 2009 Spring collection. The ultra-high heels have had the clear hollow space in the platform bases stuffed full of blossoms and petals. Additional fresh flower stems and leaves decorate the ankles and wrap up the models legs. |
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| • Candy Shoes. Sarajevo designer Belma Arnautovi? has created a collection of shoes including these candy-filled heels. Inspired by candies and cakes, these conceptual shoes for girls are completely wearable. The designer aimed to produce eccentric unique pieces that bear symbols of fun, dreams and candy perfume. |
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| • High Tide Heels. The best option for the sexy scuba diver. The high tide shoes appeared on catwalk show for Mercedes Australian Fashion week 2002 at Bondi Iceberbs. Nice idea actually. Great for crazy fashionistas who don’t want to be seen without heels even at the beach. |
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