Trends

Leather Chokers

A short and sweet post this Monday! Accessory trends are something i have always been interested in, I suppose footwear comes under the accessory category in fashion, but within this, accessories like jewellery are just as coveted as footwear. Leather used within the jewellery section isn't unheard of and of late I have been noticing a trend of sheer simplicity, drum roll please.......a minimal skinny leather band choker. So in the creative mood that I was in last week I have managed to come up with an equally minimalist design made from leather (naturally) that adjusts to all neck sizes. I will be selling them via Depop or taking direct sales for £20.

My Leather choker! £20

Fenty X Puma 

"The Trainer"

As promised in January, I wanted to document the sneaker game for the ladies who aren't always in heels, or in fact wear sneakers more than heels! I thought what better way to start the sneaker section than featuring girl of the moment Rihanna's Fenty X Puma Release that will take place today at 10 EST (3pm GMT). I must admit I'm having a major fan girl crush on Riri at the moment, especially since the release of her recent single Work which I've had stuck in my head non stop - not to mention the subsequent irresistibly saucy videos she's released too. In another great launch amongst many this week the sneaks are available in black white and red, I've managed to get this only image of the white version (the black version you can view on the puma website) and I must say I'm a fan!

Manolo Blahnik - Burlington Arcade

The announcement of the 2nd stand alone Manolo Blahnik London store a couple weeks ago was music to my ears. Although I missed out on the opportunity to have a meet and greet with the man himself on the opening night in the Burlington Arcade I cannot wait to have a good ol' look around the store. The stores launch has had lots of press and only yesterday was it featured in one of my all time favourite free mags; Time Out. Now the article is more of a Q&A but definitely worth a read if you manage to find a copy, its candid yet inspiring and definitely encourages you take a visit to the store. I should be taking a visit at some point, so expect a photo diary of real soon!

Christopher Dixon

Sneaker designer turned high heel extraordinare started his adventure into footwear from a young age using Basketball sneakers as his inspiration. Turning his hands to high heels is more of a recent venture when he was able to look into Serena Williams Shoe drobe. Dixon remembered how Williams mentioned that most of her favourite shoes gave her great pain and this triggered a partnership that explored the comfort of sports footwear within heels. In comes Christopher Coy - his debut heel collection. The designs speak for themselves, they look luxuriously comfy yet amazingly supportive through the use of organic materials. Now they don't come cheap but what great designs do? Head to his website for a more expansive look at his new range, but for now I leave you with a few of my favourites.

Zara - Clogs and Boots

I have an addiction! and yes its Shoes, and more specifically an addiction with the clothing brand Zara. I have always loved the idea of affordable on trend fashion which not only has good quality but also great value of money. Zara always offers that and much more - eternal shoe satisfaction! Head over to the High Heels High Hopes youtube channel to see the clogs and boots I managed to bag myself!

P A R I S

Paris is ALWAYS a good idea, its one of those places where there is something always going on. Luckily I made it to Premier Vision the footwear and accessories edit. It was bloody amazing - cloud 9 for footwear designers. I loved it, I went a year and a half ago for the September expo with my cousin and I had an amazing time looking through the fabrics, however with no direction for myself (I had really only gone for the know how) but this year felt less over whelming and more go goo GOOO there was so much to look at that you ended up walking and looking aimlessly. (its important to have an idea about who and what suppliers you are visiting at these expos before hand - its easy to get sidetracked with the reams of other suppliers) We had an intense look around mostly at heels and soles and once we were happy with that we went on to look around at the Leather and Manufacturing halls - instantly you can suss out whether its going to be useful to you or not. Most of the leather suppliers were whole sale so for me that wasn't very useful, I prefer buying single hides of leather but not ruling out the Leather hall completely - it was good to see what was out there in the market since technology is always changing. After a heavy morning looking around we grabbed something to eat from a aptly named restaurant at the expo called "Fauchon" (say it out loud - sounds like Fashion) the eclairs were out of this world!! After the mini sugar overdose we headed straight to BHV a department store were given a heads up about by one of the students we had taught. The section we were directed to inevitably was for footwear and even though we only came out with a crepe rubber sheet it was so nice to see a department store of its size dedicating a whole area to leather footwear and tools.

A trip to Paris isn't complete without A) a sighting of the Eiffel Tower and B) a trip to Galeries Lafayette. Of course we did both, even though we had done it a thousand times before. The epitome of Parisian chic both visits fulfilled us with the french spirit. A short walk on from the Eiffel Tower we found a slightly plush but slightly tacky bar where we took selfies and had cocktails (well a mocktail for me - 6 weeks strong with no drink! - and no i was't an addict before either!) and from there headed straight to dinner before we took a short cab ride back to Gare du Nord for our journey back home! With a lot accomplished during the day, a snoozed filled ride home was definitely on the cards!

BESPOKE

Dusonn Dubaal

I've found another gem! - Bespoke shoe maker Dusonn Dubaal. I'm a self-proclaimed perfectionist and making footwear is something I find both therapeutic and challenging because of perfectionism. Dubaal seems like a perfectionist too - he makes the shoe making process look like a walk in the park. His Instagram feed is full of process imagery, sketches and tools to convey his ideas. It's a dream scrolling through his timeline and I always look forward to a new post. The outcome of his designs always have an air of elegance and class. Bespoke shoe makers and lovers of the craft he is definitely worth a follow!

I- Dusonn_Dubaal