Fashion Design "The Day Before..."

If you want to go behind the scenes of REAL fashion design, The Sundance Channel has an all-new series for insider access to the highly creative world of contemporary fashion. Called "The Day Before", it showcases the designers, influencers, artists and trends at the forefront of international style and glamour. The clip above shows a multi-designer homage to Sonia Rykiel for all she has done to influence them. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the outfit chosen by Ralph Lauren, for his salute to Ms. Rykiel, was one from my time as a designer there, and featured a shoe I designed...Premieres Wednesday, Sept. 9 at 10PM.

"It's All About The Shoes...Always"

...That is, according to Isaac Mizrahi and Kelly Rowalnd on this week's episode of "The Fashion Show" on Bravo TV. And of course I couldn't agree with them more! I have to admit that I wasn't sure about this show, now in its fourth episode. But this week's episode was by far my favorite. The contestants had to create an outfit based on an iconic shoe of the season. If you haven't seen the show yet, it's Bravo's new reality show where fashion designers compete to have their collection produced at the end of the season (and its replacement for "Project Runway"). The show features shoes which were also covered earlier in the season here on SoleSavvy!

See "The Fashion Show Thursdays at 10/9 Central on BravoTv...

Fall Shoe Preview...

OK 'Shoe Fanatics', I didn't want to "spring" this on you too early. We've just gotten past the rainy and snowy season, after all. But since the Fall '09 shows have already taken place, I thought I'd just give you a sneak peek at some of the amazing styles that have hit the runway for next season. These styles can certainly be classified as "art", and I had to take a moment to highlight them.

We can get back to finally enjoying Spring later...

Many thanks to Style.com!

Homage to Antonio

Antonio Lopez (1943-87) was one of my mentors as a fashion illustrator. He was a sweet man, and an amazing talent. He and many others are being honored this month by the Society of Illustrators in New York, with an exhibition called "The Line of Fashion". Here's my tribute to Antonio, which features some of his brilliant illustrations of shoes...

http://societyillustrators.org/museum/line_of_fashion.cms

All illustrations courtesy of "Antonio's Girls", Congreve Publishing Company, Inc. New York, 1982.

Spring Coverage

What's the one shoe style must-have for this season? A closed-but-open sandal that gives coverage to the foot; one that even ascends toward the ankle.

If you're a savvy shopper, this style can be seasonless, and can inspire you to re-style your old threads into a fresh, new look. The Chloe shoe above was one of my favorites from last year; a work of art...

The King of...Accessories?

*In case you haven't heard, the auction of Michael Jackson's personal collection of memorabilia has been either postponed or called off...

Who says Michael Jackson is history? Michael Jackson turns 50 this year (yes 50. I know that because I always knew how many years older he was than me...notice how skillfully I said that?), and the Guardian UK has put together a 50-image slide-show of iconic photos in his honor, as well as a slide-show of images from the auction of his items. With the fashion of the '80's back in vogue - along with excessive lifestyles falling out of vogue - it's an interesting dichotomy of our past meeting the present. For those who don't know, he's due to perform in the UK soon, but the concert sells out instantly every time they add a day. Last I checked, it was up to an incredible 45 days...

To see the slideshow click here...

THE SPRING 2009 SHOE TRENDS!

As promised, here are your Spring 2009 Trends for women's footwear. As the tempurature starts to warm up all over, it's natural that we start to think about what we'll wear for Spring. I know the economy's a challenge, but even if we use the trends as a guide to freshen and revamp the pieces we already have, we'll feel as if we have a new spin on things. I've included items in all pricepoints, because there are all sorts of ways to liven-up your style this Spring.

Speaking of the economy, there's a trend that I won't mention that reflects back on depressions past. Rather, let's uplift our spirits by focusing on our first trend:

C O L O R, which can be found in shades from sherberts to primaries, in everything, from clothing to shoes to accessories (pictured, R-L: Belle by Siegerson Morrison, Roger Vivier, Michael Kors, and SeeVees, the sneaker company whose inspiration comes from the '60's and has partnered with color firm Pantone to create sneaks in custom colors). Our next trend is:

T R I B A L - Details with an ethnic twist focus on craft and detail that originates with our collective forefathers (pictured, L-R: Jimmy Choo, Xhilaration by Target, Siegerson Morrison, and Louis Vuitton).

On the opposite end of detail is:

G E O M E T R Y - Clean and caged; the new gladiator shapes take their cues from the future; metallics and high-tech materials are key (pictured, L-R: YSL, Robert Clegerie, Type Z, Stella McCartney). And finally, we have what I like to call:

"R E C Y C L E D C H I C". This is our most 'green' trend; the new patchwork', using parts and remnants of many diverse materials, stitched together with hand-crafted details to form an exciting new whole: how American! Pictured, L-R: Marc Jacobs, Gucci, MiuMiu, Mossimo at Target, Tory Burch.

The HOT MATERIALS to watch for this Spring:

• Python in every way: colored, metallic, natural.
• Bright Patent - plain or mixed with other materials mixes
• Metallics - All colors, plain and mixed
• Fabrics - high-tech, textured solids mixed with other materials, and prints

Have fun, be inspired, spend wisely, and assert your individual style.

Thanks to Brian, for the SeeVees shout...!