The Milan Fashion Shoe!

    The clothing that circulated during Milan Fashion Week was wondrous but the shoes, they were extraordinary.  These agile photographers can really get down and dirty to get the perfect shot and not even one blurry heel, amazing!  It seems to me that we are expecting a wide variety of style for Fall 2013.  I'm not here to talk about the clothing though.  I'm talking below the belt, like way below the belt, all the way to the floor in fact, to the soul!

       Above we have designs from the talented Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana.  For years they have been capturing inspiration from the tiny Italian island of Sicily and have been transforming these ideas into exceptional collections.  Each shoe has been carefully put together to represent the Venetian and Byzantine mosaics that harken back to the twelfth-century cathedral that sits quietly in the city of Monreale.  This bejeweled look transcends the entire collection and really makes the footwear elegant and intricate.  Looking like they came right out of the twelfth-century Dolce & Gabbana store (no, that didn't exist), these shoes really bring the time period to life and the fabric and jewel choice could not have been any better.

         

     And Salvatore Ferragamo...one of the sleekest, sharpest and minimalistic brands of Italian fashion.  Massimiliano Giornetti, the creative director, was previously a menswear designer.  So, he did what he knew best and carried over his menswear past to his women's wear present.  Worked pretty darn well if you ask me!  This construction, not fit for comfort, but made so clean and sharp that you wonder if anyone really cares about comfort?  The entirety of his collection was understated with such grace that his accessories shined, not just because they were patent leather either.  They were a bit edgier than the clothing, but still followed that sleek look Giornetti was going for.
     The shoe market is just thriving.  It always amazes me from season to season when I come across shoes that I've never seen before.  I mean, how many different shoe designers can there be?  And not only do we see new and exciting shoes from season to season, but it changes from designer to designer.  Ahhh, I love it!

     Next Up, Paris Fashion Week!

Ciao,

Annie

Oh, Betsey!

     If you are a firm believer in rainbow colored candy and couture then I bet Betsey Johnson is one of your designers of choice.  Betsey's Fall 2013 runway collection sported more color than Monet's Water Lilies.  With champagne, cool shades, and fresh kicks lining the runway she was prepared to put on an outrageous show.  For those of you who aren't familiar with her designs, let's just say that they are different, and I use the term loosely.  

     Let's start at the top and work out way down, shall we?  Some might call this a bad hair day, but Moe from the Three Stooges would say it was an average hair day, give or take a little color.  Active wear is totally happening here, maybe Betsey thinks the world will wake up in Fall of 2013 and get fit... who knows?  BJ, wouldn't be my choice of lettering to put across the chest of a woman's tee or down the leg of a sweat pant, but she's not about to change her name now... get your mind out of the gutter!   Lastly, solid colored high top sneakers are clearly the vision Betsey has for the future of your feet.  

     Let's put this all together now.  Betsey's future woman is heading to the gym in her BJ attire, with her 'Moe' cut bobbing in the wind, sporting cool shades and tightening her velcro sneakers, thinking about how she'll reward herself with a big glass of bubbly and she is doing this all while talking on the phone to her three kids about how there isn't enough time in the day.  Good luck to you future Betsey woman!  

Cray!

Ciao, 

Annie

Sparkle For The New Year!

     Let's welcome 2013, the new year, with some sparkle and bling.  In our society everyone knows that New Year's Eve is the day, well night, of extreme partying and fashion strutting.  You get all glammed up to go out to some fabulous party with all your friends and family to watch the ball drop and welcome the new year.  Sounds odd, but any excuse to go to some high society, "show off your stuff" parties.  But, us women and even some men, start mapping out these outfits way ahead of time to make sure that everyone knows we are ready to take on each year with better style than the next.  Let's take a look at some glitzy and glammy outfits that can inspire us for our upcoming festivities.

Spice up the new year!

Ciao, 

Annie

Dressing Logically!

     Unless you are living under a rock, where you have no weather perception or an escape tactic, then you know that "baby it's cold outside" (sang with vocals full of joy and cheer and a subtle teeth chatter).  So, just what are those cold weather essentials?  Well, let's see.  If we are traveling to those arctic snooty climates of Vail, Aspen or Jackson Hole you need to be fully bundled.  

     Let's start with the coat.  This has to make a statement because when you are on the street it's all you have to show off.  So button up, jazz up and show off.  Now, for our device-obsessed fingers we have gloves to keep them warm.  If you want my advice, leather is the way to go.  The toes need some love and warmth too.  Get a nice fur lined boot that allows you the shlep through the snow without worrying about getting your feet wet and cold.  Lastly, there is no cold weather look that is complete without a scarf or hat.  It will allow you to wrap yourself up in style and keep trending during the cold months.

Tory Burch

Lanvin 

Nina Ricci

Givenchy

Barneys New York

Canadian Goose

Surrell 

The North Face

Michael Kors

Altuzarra William Fox - Trim Coat

Burberry

Moncler

Stay warm!

Ciao, 

Annie

When Shoes Went Wild!

     If shoes could talk, I could only imagine what these ones would have to say.  This is where the unpractical becomes practically fashionable.  Don't ask me how shoes with jutting crystalized fire flames blazing off of them became all the rage, but they did.  Outrageous to some and outspoken to others.  

     We are reaching new heights, literally, in the outlandish world of shoes.  Well, who knows if we can even call these things shoes anymore.  Some of them could substitute for weapons, for crying out loud.  In the next few years we will hear of how a woman tried to break into someones house using her 150mm spiked Christian Louboutin shoes.  Men, make sure to check out the attire on a woman's feet before you decide to mess with them.  It could end up costing you!

     Celebrities are becoming big endorsers of these playful, yet dangerous, shoe trends.  Ciara, Beyoncé, Willow Smith, Heidi Klum, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga and many more.  So, go on and jump on board, if you dare!

Brian Atwood

Massimo Dogana

Goddess Spike

Alan Quilici

Adidias

Anastasia Radevich

Kermit Tesoro

Chanel

Top Shop

Giuseppe Zanotti

Hades Ripley

The Cultlabel

Gaetano Perrone

Well, that's a statement!

Ciao, 

Annie