Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Chiusa per Ferie

Sorry for the long delay in writing. I finished up my last few days of work last week (140+ samples finished...or nearly finished!) and am officially chiusa per ferie (closed for the holidays). I'm back home in the states and hope to be sharing with you all some updates on the shoe scene here in the US, new American designers, and much more. In the meantime, take a look at my latest dream shoes...

www.net-a-porter.com

Is there anything better than Alaïa?

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Sweet Dreams

* swoon *




ysl.com

Fantasy Photos (and Shoes)

A friend tipped me off to this site...Take a look at these amazing photos by Khuong Nguyen for Mr. L's advertising campaign - fabulous shoes and even more fabulous photos...

http://www.kyongnguyen.com/

(click on commissions and then Louboutin Winter Tales)

Monday, August 2, 2010

"Made in Italy"

If you haven't already, take a look at this article from the New York Times: "Is Italy Too Italian?" It discusses the economic situation in the textile industry, but it's pretty much the same for the footwear industry, except that, in my opinion, quality has been compromised and the integrity of the "Made In Italy" label is fading.

Sunday, August 1, 2010

Wrapping Things Up and Just Getting Started...

Today is August 1st, which in Italy means the start of August vacations. For the entire month of August, most of Italy is chiuso per ferie -meaning that almost everyone closes up and heads to the beach. I, unfortunately, have to work the first week of August because of the 100+ samples that need to be finished before the holiday in order to deliver all the shoes in time for fashion week runway shows - we've been making lots of 39s, 40s, and 41s! So my postings, as I'm sure you've noticed, have been infrequent in the past weeks because of the work overload. This week will surely be no different and I try to wrap up everything I'm working on and get ready to head home (where hopefully I'll have lots to share about the shoe scene stateside). In the meantime, I'd like to introduce you all to a new project I'm working on...

One of my closest friends, Jenna, is getting married in October, and I'll be designing and making her shoes for the big day (and time willing, perhaps even a pair for myself). (As a side note, Matt, if you're reading this...STOP! You can't see the shoes until the wedding!) I can't give any specifics on the dress, but let's just say that some dramatic shoes are in order. I've just started sketching this week and wanted to share with you all my initial ideas. Over the next months leading up to the wedding, I'll be posting pictures and drawings and material swatches to document the whole process from sketch to finished shoe. I'd love to hear your feedback!