Roll Pin Under My Shoe

Henry Beguelin brand was born in the eighties, when the pastime of making belts and bags from cowhide and recycled materials, of a group of friends on Elba island(in Italy) took a serious turn.The brand prides itself in creating luxury instead of fashion and their products are timeless and "fad" impermeable.The uniqueness of the brand lies in its "close to nature" designs right from using vegetable dyed leather and wood as raw materials to expertly cutting, stitching and assembling them by hand.The designs stands out in their virgin appeal.

While gladiator shoes are a big fad this season, I couldn't pick one pair that caught my attention from the numerous ones that I have encountered so far until I saw this one.The shoe has no heel as such, though its function is performed by a roll pin on a wooden base.Barring comfort, the shoe has a very oriental appeal reminding one of the Geisha days where style always ruled over comfort.The shoe is teasingly different and requires a lot of spunk and chutzpah on the part of the wearer to carry it around.

The brown parachute shoulder bag on the contrary is elegantly simple with no other detailing except for a ruched handle embellished in gold tone hardware and two thin drawstrings for closure .The brand's signature of a miniature stick figure is embroidered in specialised wax thread at the front and the sides.

The simplicity of the bag contrasting with the freaky style of the shoes makes them a great pair.Grab them and cast an oriental spell on those around you.

Images Source:www.henrybeguelin.it

Spring Trends 2008 - Run for Color

Spring signals the welcoming of fresh blossoms, renewed energy and tender rays of sun after those long cold days and nights spent wading through inches and inches of snow.The season ushers in a lot of joy, vibrancy and spontaneity.To dress for spring, primarily means syncing up with the effervescence of nature which translates to brilliant, bold and solid colors.(Click on the images below for a larger view.)

Pinks, bright lemon yellows, shocking ink blues, printed tunics and florals are all big this season.With the mercury pleasantly soaring, its time to bid good bye to all the layered clothing that we lugged around last season only to be replaced by simple minimalistic dresses and tunics.This season's attention grabbers are bold accessories be it chains, bangles or rings.Don't be afraid to flaunt chunky bangles, thick chains and rock like pendants.Let your shoes and handbags contend for attention in brilliant, bold hues of yellow, green, floral pink and ink blue.

In a nutshell, this spring is all about bright colors and big accessories be it bangles or bags.A little bit of creativity plus a feel for colors that suit your personality(eg. bright lemon yellow goes well with a easy going extrovert personality, big bags add zing to a slim silhouette) could go a long way in choosing an interesting ensemble that in addition to making heads turn, will also make you shimmer with radiating confidence.

Go ahead, dig your wardrobe or head to the nearest store to tailor a scintillating look keeping these trends in mind.

Have a fashionabulous spring 2008!!!

Images Source : www.saksfifthavenue.com

Ladykiller Alligators

Kieselstein-Cord Gator Collection

(Clockwise from top left) - Pendant, Ring, Earrings, Cuff

Photographer, jeweler, artist and above all, designer of world renowned luxury products, Barry Kieselstein Cord effortlessly fuses intricacy with a poignant touch of eccentricity thereby adding beauty to ordinary objects.Featured here is the Gator collection; some of the pieces from this collection are currently exhibited at The Louvre, The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, The Museum of Fine Arts in Houston and Texas and the Louisiana State Museum in New Orleans as part of their permanent collections.

The alligators have been worked upon so beautifully that the very craftsmanship of these pieces breathe life into them.The 18-karat yellow gold that these alligators are made in, is very mellowed giving a subtle sheen to each piece and very gently highlighting the combination of textures and patterns handcrafted in them.These pieces are quite chunky and are definite attention mongers.Resplending high fashion, they perfectly complement a high class cocktail party.Wear a piece or two from the collection with a simple black dress and bite your way to attention.Go ahead and bring home the alligator sans their deadliness.

Images Source:www.neimanmarcus.com

Not from the oven, yet too hot to handle

Leiber Limited-Edition Strawberry CupCake Clutch

Judith Leiber is one of those designers who seamlessly fulfills the maxim "Fashion as an expression of art", in each of her uniquely created handcrafted crystal studded handbags.The handbags are intricately designed and are so much of a masterpiece that they are being exhibited at famous museums like Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York etc Each bag occupies its own niche space in the fashion world and are so highly acclaimed to be frequently found in the hands of celebrities at Red Carpet events and with First Ladies during the US Presidential inauguration.

The limited edition strawberry cupcake clutch fully beaded with rose and light pink Austrian crystals, remains true to style, elegance and sophistication synonymous with Leiber bags, while at the same time standing out in the youthful, joyous and vibrant image that it so delicately portrays.Ideal to be teamed up with a white gown and flaunted at a high octane cocktail party or Red Carpet event, this is one of those rare occasions where the bag occupies the centre stage, accessorizing the outfit that goes with it.

For once, feel satisfied about having a cake and not eating it.

Image Source : www.neimanmarcus.com

Of Circles and rectangles

Manolo Blahnik Stasi Leather d'Orsay

Stasi Headquarters, Berlin

Can you connect these two pictures?While most of us would answer in the negative, there is a genius among us who drew inspiration from the building to create the shoe.Overwhelmed?Needn't be when the man in question is none other than Manolo Blahnik who resonates with chicness and sophistication when it comes to the design of shoes.His uniqueness lies in his ability to discern patterns from mundane objects ,and impress them upon his shoes.This pair of shoes, despite being part of the spring/summer 2008 collection which draws heavily on the Turkish architecture, is inspired by the many rectangular windows of Stasi(secret police of East Germany)headquarters.By alternating silver tone grommets with neatly cut rectangles (Stasi influence) in black leather and styling it d'Orshay, Blahnik has undoubtedly created a master piece.The shoe gives a mellowed yet classy statement, ideal for a cocktail party.

Image Sources : www.neimanmarcus.com www.jonathantaylor.eu

Pink waves on your feet

Pink is the hue
That colors this shoe
On seeing it, at once I knew
Few dollars I'll unglue
To add this to my slew

Two-Tone Wavy Heel

This shoe is so reminiscent of the famous cherry blossom sightings.It perfectly captures the spirit of spring in its youthful choice of colors accentuated by the color block style it has been rendered in.The two shades of pink covering the vamp, are further emphasised by a similar pattern, not on the ankle strap as is the usual fare, but on the heel, which in addition to being a new trend this season, is also a cheerful deviation from the boring plain heel one is usually used to.The shoe is peppered with a wavy detail complementing the break from mundaneness which the season ushers in.Ideal for sporting on weekend getaways and informal girlie meetings, these twosome towers are a must have this season.Its simplistic design, minimalistic detailing and girlie color makes a feminine, trendy, casual yet powerful fashion statement.

Make a fun statement this spring with these shoes.

Image Source : www.neimanmarcus.com