Shoes fashion tips

Fall 2010 Offerings from Bottega Veneta

Irene — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 07:26:05 +0000

What I love about a new shoe collection by Bottega Veneta is a gorgeous combination of femininity and modernity. That is why some offerings made by the brand are really worth being appreciated at their true value.

Bottega Veneta wedge ankle boot is fully suede covered including a platform and a heel. It is curvaceous with narrow straps that wrap around the bootie. The shoe features a sculpted wedge heel and a rounded toe. I was glad to know that the suede bootie is available in several color versions.

My attention was especially driven by Scalloped Suede ankle boots. They have got a couture-suede silhouette with leather piping. An unusual and curved heel is leather covered. With their short length and curved front cut, these versatile cashmere booties accentuate leg length.

The next comfy and urban looking offering is a series of calf boots. Nero, Opera and Ink Calf Boots are impeccably crafted, versatile and incomparably soft. This classic calf boot, with its strong side zipper, low wooden heel and top buckle, will stay with you season after season.

I cannot but mentioning Ink Calf Oxfords that feature curvaceous lines and a front-lace closure that give this calf platform bootie a seductive power. In spite of 4.75 in of height, the heel is wide enough to be stable and comfortable.

The designers did not forget about those who love thigh-high boots. This season they offer us Nero Suede Cashmere Over the Knee Wedge Boot. The boot features a round toe and sculpted wedge heel that adds softness and luxury to the shoe yet staying comfy and practical.

And the last shoe to mention for today is Nero Calf Ankle Boot. This dramatic calf boot features a platform sole, conical heel and front zipper closure that exudes just the right amount of edge. The creation look gorgeous and trendy.

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Avant-Garte F/W 2011 Shoes by Raphael Young

Irene — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 13:44:08 +0000

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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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Nicholas Kirkwood Exclusively for Liberty

Irene — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 08:17:52 +0000

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.

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.

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.

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.

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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Celebrities Choose Leopard Shoes

Irene — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 07:56:12 +0000

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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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Futuristic Shoe Designs by Andreia Chaves

Irene — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 08:47:22 +0000

Andreia Chaves is a footwear designer whose approach to shoes differs a lot from what we have got used to see in life and even on runways. Every shoe created by the designer is a work of art full of diversity and contrasts. By the way, I mentioned one of her works in Top 5 Creative & Extravagant Shoes lately. But I think that Andreia’s work is worth far more attention. Below are some of her extravagant works.

The Invisible Shoe has a mirrored surface, creating a deceptively obscured optical effect with every step taken. Its chameleon-like façade blends in perfectly with any environment.

The Prism Shoe is a fascinating structural design that by itself looks like an intricate work of origami – casting beautiful kaleidoscopic shadows against the ground. This shoe clearly shows us Chaves’ chaotic - yet orderly concept coming to life through her shoe design.

The Form & Texture Shoe reveals a beautiful mixture of form and material while keeping just enough chaos to stay interesting. The contradiction here is the seemingly indestructible framework combined with the disorderly arranged leather and sycamore wood cubes. The silhouette creates a theatrical impressive statement.

Chaves finds it thrilling how each particular material has the power to completely change someone’s vision about a design. An example for this, she presented a sandal made from ordinary Velcro strips that hold the foot. It is curious that you can easily change its shape, redesigning it and creating sculptures in air.

The Twirled Sandal is part of Andreia’s study of optical effects. The shoe is made of PVC and metal. Looking at this sandal it becomes clear that the designer loves to provoke and shatter common concept created by the society during many centuries. According to Andreia Chaves beauty can be found in chaos., and she really finds it!

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