Reach Dizzying Heights

Giuseppe Zanotti Women's E80173 Platform Wedges

Giuseppe Zanotti in his early twenties traded his DJ headphones for a career in shoemaking thus confirming to the traditional occupation of his native town San Mauro Pascali.His early thrust was towards developing new styles through intense research.After a few years, finding that he was yet to come to terms with his talent he acquired a company transforming it into an expanded style office and making style, creativity and research its strong foundations.From then on there has been no looking back for this man who has relentlessly combined style with technique to create the most fashionable, delectable and sought after shoes the fashion industry has ever seen.

The shoes featured here are sculpted platform wedges with a whooping heel height of approximately 6".The first thing that struck me when I set sight on this pair is that its so retro and full of attitude.The fresh youthfulness that these shoes symbolise are further emphasized by the buckles with gold tone on the vamp and the ankle.Wear them on a day when you feel young at heart and feather footed in your soul.Since its so easy to go wrong with these shoes, wearing them with the right outfit would speak volumes about your fashion quotient.Team them with either a short dress or a denim with wide flared legs to achieve a "she knows her fashion" look.The shoes look best on those with chunky calves.

Strap these on with a dress like the one below to radiate the spring attitude of fun filled freaky funkiness.

Marc by Marc Jacobs Joelle Scalloped Dress

Image Source:www.couture.zappos.com www.neimanmarcus.com

Walk On The Rainbow

CLAUDIO MERAZZI CM525 - Suede Sandal

Claudio Merazzi, eponymous owner of the luxury Italian shoe line is reckoned with colossal respect in the world of couture fashion. He is heavily inspired by his travels around the globe and desires to satisfy women with a strong hidden urge for maverick designs.His strength lies in his ability to fuse unusual colors and materials creating fashion forward shoes which even the most fashion averse would lust for.

Spring gives us far too many reasons to experiment with bold colors, that many times I feel stumped at the thought of mixing and matching all those bold colors in harmonious unison to create a sporty and chic look, wondering whether the hot pink dress that I bought impulsively on a post lunch walk on Fifth Avenue could be accessorised with the indigo blue shoes that are mine only for the perverse reason of disproving my man for saying that I wasn't spunky enough for indigo.To all those who are despairing about getting their colors right, these pair of shoes comes as the ultimate deliverance, the messiah of spring.With a clever combination of hot spring colors like lime, orange, hot pink, teal and yellow in thin strands of seude, effortlessly woven together, these shoes add the spring zing to any monochromatic dress.Team them with a sultry evening dress in white or black and lo behold, your shoes get all the attention they deserve in addition to enhancing the color appeal of the entire outfit.

Tease your way through spring by wearing these dresses to accessorize the shoes(Yup the shoes are the attention mongers).

Left:Nicole Miller Floral Lattice Dress

Right:3.1 Phillip Lim Asymmetric Draped Silk Dress

Image Sources:www.footcandyshoes.com www.neimanmarcus.com

Slither Into High Fashion

Christian Louboutin Privatita Python Sandal

Christian Louboutin, the French fashion designer's love for shoes started from a very young age when he got introduced to the high fashion night life of Paris.Since then, right from scribbling shoe designs in his school notebooks to opening boutiques around the world there has been no looking back.Louboutin's innate sense for creating intensely feminine shoes with a whiff of wit and glamour, distinctly recognisable for their immaculately lacquered red soles(legend has it that once before showcasing his collection on the runway, while he was feeling something missing from his shoes, he noticed the bright red Chanel nail polish on one of his assistant's finger nails from which was born the idea of his signature red sole) have made them the prized possessions of celebrities world over.

While exotic shoes do carry an aura of classiness and a stamp of luxury most of them tend to be so boringly monotonous since wearing a piece of python in itself is so much of a deal that fashion takes a backseat.Thankfully, the Privatita python sandal is a deviation, skillfully fusing the spring color of pink with the exotic python skin making it an ideal wear this season unlike the usual hues which complement fall.Unlike the other "colored" python shoes which screams artificiality, in these shoes the pink color has been so adroitly painted on the python skin that it gives a totally au natural look making it the shoes to lust after.

The shoes are ideal for both day as well as night wear.Carry it off with an elegant black dress in the evening or a mono colored or color block dress during the day.

Image Source:http://www.neimanmarcus.com/

Herald The Samourai Warrior

Dior Samourai Shopper

Christian Dior, the French designer revolutionised women's wear during the end of World War II from boxy fabric conserving style to dresses flaring from the waist and hence giving women a more curvaceous and beautiful silhouette.He has been credited as a master at creating shapes and silhouettes.

This fuchsia woven leather bag lives up to Dior's reputation in the sense of its uniqueness with regard to its shape, for it resembles a woven basket more than a bag.Despite the bag being showcased last fall(2007) it goes so well with the spirit of spring owing to it being woven and having a rich color.The bag has been inspired by traditional Japanese basket weaving and has layers of leather(calfskin and lambskin) woven by hand.The top handles are attached to the bag by rings and serpents in tortoiseshells, to create a truly exotic look.The bag comes with an open top and Louis XVI picture frame tag with Dior logo.

Though the Samourai warrior commanded priceless respect, this bag honoring the Samourai thankfully does come with a price tag, thus enabling you to own a piece of Oriental charm.

Image Source:www.neimanmarcus.com

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