Fall Favorites: Peek-a-Boo Cutouts

More on the Fall 2008 Favorites coming your way!

Before we looked at the rich details and the focus on heels that are trending in the Fall shoes, but another element I saw a lot of and really liked were the artistic use of cut-outs in the shoe designs.

The petal cut-outs on these Brian Atwood pumps give a simple shape an ethereal air. They're very classic and classy but with a fresh feel. These would be great with a suit now and a sundress in the Spring. I love the neutral color too.



Continuing my love of blue satin shoes, these Bruno Frisoni sling-backs are exceedingly eye-catching. The dark teal color is amazing and the design is bold and graphic. I would wear a severe black dress with these to let them steal the show. But could you imagine these with a dark hot pink outfit? Yowza!



Louboutin is the king of showy, sexy heel and these are no exception. The design is very much in line with other shoes from his previous collections but I like how the silver platforms get a lot of focus from how the straps on the two area are formed. Your feet would catch and reflect the light as you walked. I think these are the same shape as my all black ones (sans platform) from NYC. If they are, these are unbelievably comfortable.



There are a ton of shoes with open designs going into Fall. As more people pair tights with strappy heels we'll continue to see varying degrees of this style year round. I'm sure this will be welcome, especially in the warmer climates too!

Fall Favorites: Rich Details

A few weeks ago I went through something like 700 images and, of course found a ton of amazing pieces that I just fell in love with. There's far too many to put in one post so I'm going to have to group them and space them out.

The first group are what I'm calling the "Rich Details" group.

Obviously embellishments of all sorts are being integrated into the design of all levels of fashion and almost every garment type being made. I think this is why we are seeing a comeback of items like hats, fascinators and gloves. There is a desire for rich, interesting details and unique elegance.

The most obvious is the use of lace by Prada. I love the colors of the clothing pieces, especially the orange but I love the creamy lace on their bags.



There are ruffles, ruffles everywhere I look. Bruno Frisoni did an amazing job incorporating satin ruffles into modern designed shoes. I love the contrast of modern and old world in these Bruno Frisoni Mesh Peep-toe Ruffle pumps.



The banding design of the ruffle-edged straps on this Bruno Frisoni taffeta sandal reminds me of the collars from Marie
Antoinette. More blue to love.



I think this sandal is so unusual. You'd have to have an equally rich yet somewhat restrained dress to go with these. The straps are so different. Of course I'd want to wear them all the time. What about some skinny black jeans or latex leggings?



I just love how a wide ankle tie can call attention to a small ankle. I find it very sexy. Bruno Frisoni is continuing to do it right with this sandal.



These Valentino booties are sugary sweet but the suede is totally sumptuous and which I think helps to toughen them up just the smallest bit. I'm sure they were meant to be paired with a couture gown but they need far more time out and about than that. Maybe placed on my desk?

I'd wear these with jeans cropped just above them and then a big poofy-sleeved top with a loopy tie or a long coat.



These last two are more restrained but the material they are made with seems so textured.

I love the wool tweed of these Manolo Blahnik pumps. And the coral leather and white accents make them perfect for transitioning into fall while still keeping a bit of the late summer sparkle.



I like when Stella McCartney sticks with satins and velvet. Her stuff still seems a bit over-priced but at least she gets great colors. I can't get over all the blues. And I can't seem to resist them.

These look like total party shoes to me. They would have been great for the Costume Institute Superhero gala.



There are more selects to follow. One thing they all have in common is that they certainly are not plain. But my theory is, if you are going to spend the money, you should get something that stands out. Something that will make people stop, look and admire.

Designer Focus: Roger Vivier

I know Roger Vivier is an iconic designer and has been around for years and years, but most of the time I find his designs almost too simple and classic. I love his iconic buckle shoe,



but I've seen it interpreted so many times (including my Aerosoles in claret and black - not that I new they were channeling Vivier at the time) that they have lost some of their specialness.



The latest line of Vivier shoes, led by Creative Director Bruno Frisoni, are gorgeous. I can totally get behind these feather shoes...



For this latest collection he is focusing on the Fifties and Audrey Hepburn (ala Breakfast at Tiffany's, if you ask me). I'm dying to get my hands on these gorgeous, colorful heels!

If you aren't familiar with Roger Vivier, here's a quick overview:

As Claire Wilcox, curator of the V&A’s current show The Golden Age of Couture, puts it, “Vivier’s shoes are like pieces of jewellery setting off the clothes they are paired with. He was traditional and at the same time incredibly modern.”

Vivier died, aged 90, in 1998. But his spirit lives on in a brand that is now stronger than ever, thanks to creative director Bruno Frisoni. In 2001, Frisoni was asked to inject modernity into the rich heritage of the brand. First came sightings of the Belle Vivier buckle pump in fashion magazines. Then, new stores created a frisson of excitement, in Paris in 2004 and London in 2006.

“Our ambition,” says Frisoni, “was to create a brand, not to set up another shoe shop.”

An art critic recently argued that Vivier shoes are high art, on a par with a Picasso or a Canaletto.

For Frisoni, who cites Cate Blanchett and Isabelle Huppert among his muses, “They are like jewels for the feet. They are a subtle and powerful luxury. Sexy, but never garish. The shoe is an accessory of seduction. Seduction is the watchword of my designs at Roger Vivier. The lady who wears these shoes is alive, she's spontaneous, she is very intelligent but she can laugh at herself too. She's energetic and glamorous all at the same time," smiles Frisoni.