Cinderella' Slipper: collections

In 2017, amazon

2.3 - Carrie is back!

Do you remember Carrie Bradshaw? The women' s hero fighting in love with Mr.Big? Well, it seems this character never leaves one of my favourite actresses I met for the first time in Hocus Pocus movie: Sarah Jessica Parker.

We admired her "metamorphosis" from that always-glamorous dark pointy hat side by side with her witch-sisters played by Bette Midler and Kathy Najimy to her daily fashion outfits on Sex and The City set. It seems the shoe love she showed by the amazing Carrie was true!

Rumors speak about a Fall Winter 2017 Capsule Collection (Amazon exclusivity) in footwear. This new line ofc branded with the full name of this actress regards shoes and boots with heels....dear Sex-And-The-City fans, get it?

When I read this for the first time I immediately thought about that blue Carrie's Manolo...that Hangisi pumps.

Pin as follows: I discovered this evergreen-item-in-the-whole-female-genre-wishlist will be updated with a lace version by the wonderful Manolo Blahnìk himself soon (further details here: Updated Hangisi).

Well, the SJP' s collection will include something similar: the Fawn decolletè (in the pic) available in three blue tones (Dash, Flirt and Wink) - to Amazon's delight.

To be honest this brand has been founded by the actress since 2014. Last March SJP launched a made-in-US bag collection. Thanks to this collaboration with Amazon Fashion (fully made in Italy) this brand will burst into the European market.

Sarah, better known by female fans as Carrie, remarks her choice to invest in high quality footwear leading her to start producing her shoes in Tuscany, Italy, by third-generation hand-crafts (category aka artists to me). Ofc this means also medium-high prices (from EUR 170 to 500) .

Check the website here: SJP Collection

In the homepage of the above mentioned website you can easily stop on a sentence well summing up Sarah's concept of her shoe collection:

"Created with a Commitment to Quality, the Single sole and using color as a Neutral"

Meanwhile we're now excited in waiting for the Capsule Collection feat. Amazon Fashion, the Pre-Fall 17 footwear collection of the brand is already available in said website. Many trending colors, shapes, heels among which you can choose a new pair of shoes to start a new office outfit after your summer holidays in perfect Carrie's style!

...Does SJP let any woman feel like Carrie just for one day?

Sources:

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In 2017, brand

2.2 - Michael Kors' eyes on Jimmy Choo

Hei man, do you think your wife/ girlfriend/daughter spend lots of money to buy one pair of shoes? Well, I'm almost to shock you.

Since last Tuesday the web community has been going crazy for the last "gold" (I'm not using this word by chance) fashion news. Fashion victims, influencers, journalists and business professionals are tweetting on the coming-most-expensive-fashion-acquisition of the year: Michael Kors is buying Jimmy Choo for $1.2 Billion. The global Stock Exchange reacts to the announcement of this acquisition as follows: "shares of Michael Kors edged up 1% in pre-market trading, while shares of Jimmy Choo surged 17% in London" (Forbes).

This deal involves two of the most loved fashion brands by celebrities although they appeal different segments of worldwide population.

MK Holding group is improving its business strategy in combining new shoes with its famous bags so to build a bigger international luxury brand. Its intention to give new pull to the brand justifies its eyes on the fabulous JChoo.

Jimmy Choo, on its side, occupies a higher price range between $425 (Open-toe slip-on sandals) and $3,000 ( crystal-encrusted shoes with the brand’s signature sky-high stilettos). This means different customer targets, ofc, but also hefty profit margins and an upmarket aura. The British brand was put on sale in April and Mr. Kors (here below) wants it!

Mr. Michael Kors himself said:-""We admire the glamorous style and trend-setting nature of Jimmy Choo designs"

style-2013-02-michael-kors-michael-kors-1

Fashion customers traditionally loyal to middle market (finding a balance between style and price) have been satisfied by e-commerce. This have facilitated, on one side, some brands like Amazon, Zara, H&M as well as some top brands such as Gucci. The same exposed some companies, on the other side, such as Michael Kors - "once the runaway leader of the “accessible luxury market”".

Despite the general trend of fashion retailers facing said recent fierce competition by e-commerce, Michael Kors is additionally "in the process of closing 100 to 125 of its standalone stores, renovating another 100-plus stores and doubling down on more innovative designs". (Forbes)

Michael Kors' strategy to build a great American fashion luxury brand seems therefore well matching with the chance by Jimmy Choo.

So far, MK has usually focused on a balance between fashion-forward designs and competitive prices. It invested on outlets and department stores, where deep discounting is common. According to The New York Times Michale Kors needs an update to divert its recent market trend, btw: the one-decade-effects of its charismatic designer and founder ask for new inspirations always based on his motto:

every woman wants to look “pretty and rich.”

The below table shows how the market trend of this brand has languished since 2011. In particular, it downgraded its sale forecasts for the second half of that year so to close "as many as 125 of its full-price retail stores". In 2017 its share price has lost almost a fifth of its value (now $34,91).

Now things seem changing in favour of MK's plans. Proof of this is the recent strange "battle" between these two brands: meanwhile Jimmy Choo was putting in the market its Molly crushed velvet high heel sandals ($875), Michael Kors answered with its Annaliese leather platform sandals ($140)." Since April (time to sale) Jimmy Choo has tried to avoid the Chinese interest on its assets. At this regard Mr. Pierre Danis, its chief executive officer (with previous executive experience non-other-than for LVMH), said as follows:

“I was afraid it would fall into the hands of a Chinese private equity fund with no experience in luxury and I think John Idol is a successful man who has built a great business with Kors, I think there are a lot of synergies — in bags for Jimmy Choo and shoes for Kors.”

The MK Chief Executive, Mr. Idol, is instead focused on increasing the number of acquisitions involving luxury companies "that “lead in style and trend” but also “have got some size and scale” as well as “some heritage.”" All this to reach the above mentioned MK's goal about a big American fashion luxury brand. Particularly, Mr. Idol said:

“Acquiring Jimmy Choo is the beginning of a strategy that we have for building a luxury group that really is focused on international fashion brands,”

This deal then could represent a great opportunity for MK (1) to enter in the high luxury market, (2) to increase sales and (3) to diversify/ improve this decreasing trend.

Terms&Conditions of this deal should set that Jimmy Choo would maintain its current management (including the chief executive Pierre Denis and its Art Director, Sandra Choi). Reason why Company's board of director support this business transaction by promoting this to shareholders. According to the New York Times, behind the Contracting Parties: Goldman Sachs and J.P. Morgan advised Michael Kors, while Bank of America Merrill Lynch and Citigroup advised Jimmy Choo.

MK forecasts are to open new Jimmy Choo stores and expand its fashion offerings (even online) to reach the goal of $1 billion sales/year. This in an overall perspective increasingly investing in e-commerce and social media, by leaving the new entry independent. MK's top management seems sharing JC's business plan so to promote its further implementation. Moreover, the already mentioned MK's plan to get in fashion luxury under US flag seems considering men's footwear, as well. In this view, thanks to this acquisition MK could get in new markets (in Asia, for example, where Jimmy Choo is already playing its role).

What does this mean to other shoemakers?

Other European luxury groups focused instead on long-term strategies to maintain "an illusion of exclusivity", while their US colleagues have been preferring short-term sales despite the luxury reputation.

The MK strategy well reminds to the one of Coach, rather than to LVMH and Kering, which focuses on true luxury brands. In particular, these last two groups are at a more advanced stage of development by already controlling dozens of brands.Who knows if MK Holding group succeeds in such a "fashionable" run-up?!

Sources:

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In 2017, beautiful

2.1 - Painters of Stilettos

Recently, I've been fascinated by shoes drawings. Usually Shoe Designers draw the model they've got in mind before starting making prototypes for their production. In the Manolo Blanhìk Exhibition I had chance to personally watch some of MB sketches matching with their prototypes.

In addition to Shoe Designers there is another category of artists focusing on the same subject for portraits. Let me introduce you just three of the most creative ones.

Inna-Panasenko-Hot-Margarita-High-Heels-Fertig-Bild-50x50-Schuh

First, Inna Panasenko. This Caucasian multicultural artist based in Germany has got two main topics for her art: bulls as to her objection to Corrida; high heels as inspired to modern feminism and her fashion studies.

Particularly thanks to her academic studies in fashion in Russia the shoe-lovers are quite aware of her talent in drawing Stilettos. By googling this artist you can download a huge variety of postcards, posters, prints, etc. Panasenko's art shows her concept of heels as straightening...

"women up so tremendously, that men become midgets. The lords of creation have no other option but to stand on their tip-toes, unnoticed in the rain."

Her ability to draw high heels while representing a new concept of feminism out from stereotypes where womanliness leads the whole portrait including male characters almost "overwhelmed" by the height of the stiletto. Colors, styles, themes (cocktails, flowers, dance, folks, etc.) make each of her drawings unique in its genre. I think her portraits on this theme show strength, behaviour and femininity.

The very tiny heel fascinates every shoe lover who is wondering about any physics rule balancing such an extremely pencil heel and the toe where men are usually sitting down or standing up, rather than reading a newspaper. Personally, when I admire one of her portraits on Stilettos my question is the following: "If I were that man...." That micro-male character is like a black point in the dizzying Stiletto. He's fascinating me. Is this another reaction Inna Panasenko would like to get from her viewers?

marilyn-robertson-flossie_a-l-14562446-0

The second artist I want to mention here is Marilyn Robertson. She explained her cats on pumps and bags (called "Catitudes" Collection) as follows:

My much loved feline range, featuring ‘Jasper-the-Cat’ and his friends Thomas, Felix and Sebastian, (the ‘cats with attitude’), have been trademarked as “Catitudes TM”. With the rest of their friends they are found on a growing product range.

Like for Inna Panasenko, many of Robertson's paints have been put in the global market through posters, greeting cards, Ceramic pimpernel, etc.

The very tiny heels as painted in her works remind me to the same shoe concept by Inna Panasenko. "Catitudes" regards beautiful cats laying down on the sole of some dizzying pumps giving a general idea of luxury, class and relax to the whole portrait. Agree?

The third (last but not least) shoe painter I would like to focus on is Michel Tcherevkoff. The peculiarity of his works regards creating female stunning pumps by flowers. He reminds me to the amazing SS2016 Collection by Manolo Blahnìk I had chance to admire during MB Exhibition last Spring. Each part of the flower contributes to the whole shape of the shoe.

His design has been put in practice by Po-Zu, an "ecological footwear brand that naturally invigorates walking feet". The resulting shoe collection (called Shoe Fleur Collection) matches with standards of a "Responsible Shoe Business" according to the construction so-called "Fits-and-Turn", "by which the upper is stitched to the sole and turned inside-out". (shoefleur.com)

The Shoe Fleur Collection is designed for the woman who appreciates fine art as much as she values comfort, the woman who indulges her wildest footwear fantasies without sacrificing her sole.

Sources:

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In beautiful, cinderella

2.0 - Seven Shades of Nude.

Christian Louboutin: " A nude for every woman"

Some years ago I thought " Finally, someone got it!". I was referring to the "nude" concept by the wonderful Christian Louboutin (hereinafter also CL). His "Nudes" Collection in 2013 (when it was launched) included up to 5 tones (now 7), considering all the varieties of skin tones women have got across the Globe.

In response to popular demand from women around the world, Christian Louboutin is pleased to announce an extension of the brand’s innovative Nudes collection. Originally launched in 2013 with five shades of nude and four styles, the Spring/Summer 2016 collection sees the spectrum extended with two new skin-friendly hues, the porcelein Nude #1 and deep chocolate Nude #7, bringing the current range of colours available to seven. The expansive collection ensures that every woman can find a nude perfectly suited to her complexion. (ChristianLouboutin.com)

I loved this effort by him. It returns to my idea of "Responsible Shoe Business" as introduced in my post #1.4. This Red-Sole collection means respect, inclusion, acceptance, globalization, civilization, humanity, smartness and (why not?) business sniff. It's sad to realize racism is still in many "civilized" Countries all over the world. Perhaps some politicians are increasing divergences on this topic to feed what I call a "war among poors" just to get votes - no matter what then on (at least here in EU - but this is another story...).

Linda Sandino recognized this Red-Sole Collection as one of the "major moments in history that touch the world of design and manufacturing" (Politics, Crockery and the V&A, L.Sandino, 2014). At the Victoria&Albert Museum in London: in 2014 this CL Collection was exhibited by ceramic hands holding his Nude shoes (see pic here nearby).

To be honest many (if not all) of the CL tones have been already existing for years. Initially fashion community referred to PANTONE 12-0911 as "Nude" (Pantone on Fashion: a Century of Color in Design, Di Pantone, LLC,Leatrice Eiseman,E. P. Cutler). Louboutin' smartness in 2013 focused on branding almost all skin tones of women worldwide as a new avanguard concept of "nude" in footwear. It seems to me he's going to make this new concept of nude as the only one possible from now on. That's great to me!

In 2015 CL upgraded his Collection by extending to 7 the number of skin tones among which you can choose your best pair of nude shoes. So far, the lightest one is "Lea" (N.1) while "Ada" (N.7) is the darkest. These are the last two added in 2016. "Nats", "Maya" and "Safki", above all, range in between. (Pursuitist.com)

In 2016 Solasofia, a delicated pointed toe ballerina, joined Pigalle Follies 100 and Senora 100 in this Collection.

Let's check out what the Cinderella' Slipper Designer suggests us in this way. Nearby the already mentioned Solasofia flats and Degrarivierina Pumps, in his website the luckiest ones of us can choose among new Summer 2017 sandals, such as:

1. Christeriva, 875$

This perfect-Summer-party stiletto combines "carefree espadrille laces with a 100mm stiletto heel".

christian-louboutin-new-nudes-1-maxw-1280

2. Cherry Sandal, 895$

This Summer Sandal has got "dazzles with a hint of illusion" by mixing transparent PVC slingback in a leather nude platform sandal having a "minimalist silhouette with high impact".

The innovated item in this stunning Collection is the material: a soft, flexible, matte nappa leather. The well-thought shades of colors mixed with these materials give to these shoes the right feeling of nudity.

Mr. Louboutin explains his new collection as follows:

“The shoes are there to give the woman an extra lift, not to take attention away from the legs and what she is wearing.”

"Nude" is not matter of colors! It regards the woman' silhouette by elongating her legs. These shades of nude give to female legs versatility, fluidity and allure of the whole body which this Shoe Designer goes on inspiring to. Moreover nude means neutral. This leaves women free to choose the rest of the outfit, including further accessories - not necessarily matching footwear. It's like a second-skin!

Deepik, 995$

Christian Louboutin’s Nudes Collection remains the only offering of its kind within the world of luxury footwear, even three years post-launch.

If you're already thinking about your fall season at the office, CL have the right nude pumps for you then! It's the case of Deepik (pic here above) and Dorissima, which in 2015 joined the classic Red-sole pumps, above all Pigalle, Simple Pump and Bianca. Deepik is a scalloped-edge, peep-toe stiletto. Love its "snake/new wave-heel"! Dorissima stands up as a single-sole, timeless pump with a heart-shaped toe box and a thin sky-high heel...perfect for the office! “It’s important to evolve the style and have fun with it” - CL said about Dorissima.

So Kate Nude, 675$

Another evergreen nude pumps is So Kate Nude (here on the left): thanks to its ideal heel height as “re-arranged in terms of toe cleavage,” it resembles the label’s most popular shoe "Pigalle". (Pursuitist.com). In celebration of The Nudes, this is an iconic shoe by CL.

Watch the video here about the full interview by CNN Lauren Booker to Christian Louboutin about his Nude Collection. From porcelain (N.1) to dark chocolate (N.7) the Nude Collection by Christian Louboutin is a flag of inclusivity challenging "the fashion industry's tendency to cater to paler complexions" (Debika Ray, 2014).

Sources:

ChristianLouboutin.com
Politics, Crockery and the V&A, Linda Sandino, 2014.
Victoria&Albert Museum
Pantone on Fashion: a Century of Color in Design, p.20, Di Pantone, LLC,Leatrice Eiseman,E. P. Cutler, 2014
Pursuitist.com
CNN.com
Iconeye.com

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In 2017, beautiful

1.9 - Interchangeable Heels.

Once in a while wishes come true, ladies!

There are days when I wish to have different heights of heels for my shoes depending on my schedule. Usually women like wearing medium-high block heels in the office, something slower for a friendly walk and something higher for a romantic dinner. What if we have no chance to go back home and change our outfit for a chic night-out after work - at least our shoes? Well, it seems someone took care of us, ladies!

WO 2016179675 is a patent regarding "Women's shoe with detachable high heel, convertible into flat shoes, flat sandals and the like". Isn't this amazing? Basically, Roberto Stiefelmann, its assignee, provides different heights of heels for the same sample sole:

a women's heeled shoe with a shank having a recess for a quickscrew fastener which allows quickly removing and replacing the heel, and which, together with a flexible insole, preferably a PVC moulded insole, and an elastic junction in the quarters or vamp, allows a closed shoe with a heel to be converted into a flat shoe or a sandal-like shoe with a heel to be converted into a flat sandal, for example, or vice versa. The shoe also comprises a second screw or pin arranged radially in relation to the screw already available in the front side of the heel, thus remaining hidden under the shoe, this second screw the central, heel-fastening screw from becoming accidentally loose. The shoe also comprises a flange with an inner screw thread incorporated into the insole by pressing in such a way that screw positioning imperfections can be corrected by rotating the flange.

In the related Prior Art, patent US3646497 already claimed "Shoe with interchangeable heels" in 1972. The subsequent patent US4610100 (1986, therefore expired) opened the way to several new inventions in this field. Until 2016 when thanks to Mr. Stiefelman' s genius, a German company, Mime et moi, put shoes with five interchangeable heels in the market. Now their video is "viral" on the web (here above)!

Another brand producing this kind of shoes is Tanya Heath who seems combining luxury fashion design with multi-heels. She provides a mechanism ( based on US7954256 (2011) and US20130067770 (2013) ) typified by clicking the new heel on the sole of the shoe. The related clicking sound means a complicated gimmick "dimensioned to be pressed 5000 times and that you are using a very robust mechanical system". In her website you may find different kind of heels, in terms of height, material, design and pattern. Parisian style never disappoints!

A further brand in this field is Mestrae, from Malaysia. In its website you may read as follows:

The road to Mestrae started from humble beginnings, it came from wanting to fulfill the needs and wants of the everyday woman, the mothers, the corporate climbers, the professional, the chef, the sisters and daughters, the modern woman who tries to do it all.

This is to remark the very aim for which this kind of interchangeable heels-shoes were born, as I mentioned at the beginning of this post. It's quite pretty to me to read in this Malaysian website about the company's efforts to balance between technology and style setting in footwear.

At Mestrae, we look forward to being trend setters and to continuously be creative and innovative in the world of fashion and technology.

It sounds familiar to me since my last posts regard just this futuristic relationship, aka "Engineering Footwear Industry". Whatever is the brand of your interchangeable heels, I hope you'll agree with me in including all these among the so-called "Smart Shoes" in terms of comfort.

In my home-country (Italy) they're still to be appreciated. I really believe in their potential and hope they'll reach the market success they deserve - for the good of our poor feet!

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In 2017, brand

1.8 - Men Fashion Weeks SS2018: high-tech footwear.

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In 2017, beautiful

1.6 - Summer Trend 17: Rainbow

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In 2017, brand

1.5 - Goodbye, Laura

Three days ago Mrs. Laura Biagiotti left us all. Another glamorous fashion designer reaching Mr. Versace in clothing angels. I'm Italian, this post is more than deserved.

She was one of the modern Italian fashion artists (the so-called "Cashmire Queen" or the "White Lady") who contributed to the huge success of the "made-in-Italy". Her work in the fashion industry started when she was very young at her mother's atelier in Rome. Her mother, indeed, designed the Alitalia uniforms in 1964.

It's just in 1972 when Laura acquired MacPershon factory in Pisa that she really brought herself on the international fashion "balcony". She showed her interest in white, semplicity and innovative shapes of cashmere by putting in place runways in China (the first Italian fashion designer doing so) (1988), Russia (1995) and Egypt (1998).

Today her maison called "The House of Biagiotti" in Rome, is one of the largest fashion houses in Italy. In 2015 the brand celebrated its 50 birthday setting a new partnership with Anegelini in producing and distributing, which followed the previous one with Protecter and Gamble. At the end of that year these were the data available on the brand: 16 licenses, 37 male and female collections and 21 workers.

Laura Biagiotti was able to build in parallel two "empires": one in fashion, as worldwide know, and the other one about real estate businesses, particularly castles (e.g. Castello Marco di Simone di Guidonia, Rome).

At the finance perspective, few data are available: in 2015 Biagiotti Group's turnover was 4,9 billion euros for a whole yearly business about 90 billion ones.

The White Lady joined actively the fashion industry revolution in '80s and '90s providing the made-in-Italy the deserved rank closed to the main French maisons. Many Italian celebrities (e.g. Nancy Brilli, Carla Fracci and Natasha Stefanenko) weared her masterpieces, on red carpets as well as on films. She got many awards, above all:

1992, Woman of the Year, NYC (US);
1995, Kinght of Labour by Italian President O.L.Scalfaro;
2001, Prix Femmes d' Europe;
2002, Marisia Bellisario Awards and Lifetime Achievement Award, National Council of Italian Fashion. Meanwhile, the Italian post office issued a 41 EUR cent stamp with her name;
2004, Laura Biagiotti wrote the chapter about Fashion in the Treccani Encyclopedia. Meanwhile, she got the Lupa Capitolina award by the Rome Mayor, V. Veltroni;
2007, Crystal Lion Lifetime Achievemnet - Venice Casino Award
2008, Leonardo Award by the Italian President G. Napolitano.
2011, the Marco Polo award by Chinese government and the America Award of the ITA-USA Foundation.

mame-dizionario-della-moda-laura-biagiotti-sfilata-1

Recently it seems her brand was slowly hiddening on the international arena, compared with its huge success during few decades before. Her collections in net-a-porter became accessible to mass, meaning: cheaper, increased sales and sometimes lower quality than during '80s. My opinion is that the brand was then suffering the strong Chinese competition (even in Tuscany where the italian - Chinese textile district is).

Today her daughter, Lavinia Biagiotti Cigna, already side by side with her mother during the last runways and sitting in the National Council of Italian Fashion, will lead the brand to the future.

I hope the new generation will give LB brand back the old fame re-investing in quality and innovation (as the Cashmire Queen did during her whole life).

Here's Laura Biagiotti Official Website

Sources:

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In 2017, beautiful

1.4 - Pin these dates in your Agenda!

We may say this is one of the best years for Italian shoe lovers (like me)! Indeed, since its beginning exhibitions about stunning shoe designers have been managed throughout the "Boot" (as we, as Italians, usually call our peninsula 'cause of its shape).

In this post I would like to post the main events you should not miss if you are planning to visit my Country during the coming 7 months!

Ofc, I couldn't miss Manolo Blahnìk in Palazzo Morando (Milan) on which I wrote post #07 . Unfortunately this exhibition lasted few weeks between March and April. You can still have a virtual tour thanks to the related video on my YouTube Channel.

On May 13 at the Venice Biennale a special area (Padiglione Italia) opened as focused on luxury Fashion Brands, among which Renè Caovilla (Padiglione Venezia) ( pic here above), selected as representative of made-in-Italy footwear. The Venice-based brand particularly invested on luxury footwear making all women dream. The exhibition will last until Nov 26. Tickets are a bit over the standard range (20 EUR) due to the fact you're supposed to visit the whole event. By surfing on the web you can easily find articles and videos already about this, btw. It may be even a good chance to visit the Othello's city while drinking a Spritz "Al Merca" in a "bacareto" closed to Canal Grande or on Ponte Vecchio.

Moreover, few days ago Salvatore Ferragamo Museum in Florence opened a new "vintage" exhibition inspired to his '20s collection. This shoe designer weared the feet of some Icons, like Marylin Monroe and Audrey Hepburn (here on the left with Mr. Ferragamo himself). This brand dictated footwear trends, particularly, between '20s and '60s. The exhibition will last almost for a whole year - you have time to arrange it! Ticket price: 6 EUR. You could get chance to visit Gucci and Pitto Palaces, as well. If you like wine, take time to drink a glass of Chianti on the Rinascente terrace during the sunset.

So far that's all! Pin these in your agenda! I'm already planning my visits to the last two. I'm confident they'll make my eyes bright once again, as it was with Manolo.

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In brand, collections

1.2 - Mom & Daughter matching shoes

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In 2017, business

1.0 - Easter Slippers

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In 2017, collections

0.8 - Block Heels Trend SS2017

Fashion Community passed through Mercedes Benz - Moscow FW last week, too. Spring started few days ago. Sun is coming to warm our hearts. We're almost up to renew our wardrobe for the usual season cover where colors lead our outfits. In this context I would like to briefly pause on one of Spring Footwear Trends as suggested by all the Fashion Weeks so far: the so called "block-heel". Weather you're wearing a sandal or a pumps rather than a pair of boots this is one of last trends I like the most. As heritage of 90's mixed with comfort and a bit of extravagance, the "block-heel" has already conquired runways in NYC, London, Paris and Moscow. No doubts in its success in the next Rome Fashion Week early in April, too!

This trend, indeed, started few years ago: already in 2014 Summer we could donned a pair of such a comfortable sandals! This year heels over 5inches or higher are fully banned. Kirschenbaum notes: "Women nowadays are way more focused on comfort and practicality (and value investing in a shoe that is both stylish and comfortable enough to walk or commute in) which is why there has been such an increase in demand for sneakers and low block-heels."(Elle)

Brand-new is the "rounded" version of block-heel: geometry leads our coming sunny season mixing pastel and main colors, shiny with metallic items embellishing the shoe, lace-up/ bound/ mule pattern. We could admire those items throughout runways by, above all, Nicholas Kirkwood, Ted Baker, Sam Edelman, Lanvin, Stella McCartney, Louis Vuitton, Hermes, Celine, Balenciaga, Dries Van Noten, Jaquemus, Missoni, Marni, D&G, Marques' Almeida and Mariana Jungman.

Focus on the lace-up shoes by Nicholas Kirkwood ( $1,130) as here on the right: a sample of this trend. This triangular basis-prism heel was patented under US D728,211S in May 2015. This stacked sandals sums up all the requirements above mentioned for a glamourous SS2017:

lace-up
colors (main ones, in particular)
block-heels
under 5 inches high (1.5")

Interesting to read also the article in StyleCaster.com, to whom is wondering how to combine this footwear trend for a daily outfit.
Enjoy your comfortable Spring!

Sources: InStyle.com, Vogue.com, Nicholas Kirkwood

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Pages

2.3 - Carrie is back!

2.2 - Michael Kors' eyes on Jimmy Choo

2.1 - Painters of Stilettos

2.0 - Seven Shades of Nude.

1.9 - Interchangeable Heels.

1.8 - Men Fashion Weeks SS2018: high-tech footwear.

1.6 - Summer Trend 17: Rainbow

1.5 - Goodbye, Laura

1.4 - Pin these dates in your Agenda!

1.2 - Mom & Daughter matching shoes

1.0 - Easter Slippers

0.8 - Block Heels Trend SS2017

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