Designer Focus - Richard Braqo

It's always exciting to see a strong new designer come onto the shoe radar.

Richard Braqo (Richard Kwame Brako), is from Ghana, studied at Parson and hails from Helmut Lang and collaborated with Cesare Paciotti.  With a debut collection this season, Richard is already showing a strong design eye and a unique vision that makes his work jump out for me.

While the whole collection is great - check out his lookbook here - I love his sharp, sexy stilettos and his lethally gorgeous jewelry-inspired embellishments.

 The pearl spear to skinny gold heel of the Benedetta is my top pic of the collection.  The pieces in his collection come in oxblood and moss but I love the black velvet and gold accents best.

Asymmetrical Coralle is a signature piece, with the bracelet ankle detail.  I love this is the deep oxblood, which is turning out to be the color of the Fall/Winter 2012 season.

My other favorite design element from the collection is the metallic feathers of the Nina sandal.  You can see why his pieces are catching the eye of musicians and performers.

Richard's work already shows a confident style and aesthetic. I can't wait to pick up a pair and to see how his work evolves over the next few collections.

Designer Focus - Michelle Chang Jewelry

 I was very excited to see one of my favorite Etsy shops featured on Fab.com the other day.

I've been a fan of Michelle Chang's jewelry for a while now and had been planning on making a purchase but this gave me added incentive.  There were a few pieces on Fab that I had not seen in her store so I made sure to add them to my cart right away.

What I love about her pieces are the delicate details combined with the soft finishes.  Each piece has a warmth and humor that is so engaging.  

The piece that first got me interested in her work was this whimsical (you know I can't resist that!) snake ring.  As a fan of snakes (they're much maligned and misunderstood), I was instantly smitten with his playful expression.

This ring also has a lovely brass version holding an amethyst.

I actually purchased the silver snake ring directly from Michelle's Etsy store but I did nab two pieces via Fab. First was the fox necklace in sterling with diamond eyes.  She has this without stones, as a ring and earrings as well.

Two snakes are better than one, right?  I also nabbed the brass "holding is tail" (very ouroboros, no?) snake with ruby eyes.

Working with Michelle through Etsy has been a pleasure so far.  I love that she'll adjust sizes and stones to suit your preferences.  I've had nothing but great experiences with the artists on Etsy and I can't wait to wear my new pieces.

Matching Philosophies

This post is entirely too image-heavy but I can't help it.  I'm totally smitten with basically every look that came out of the Philosophy show. 

I too am a bit surprised that this is a Fall show but I'd buy this and save it for the following Spring. I'm, admittedly, not the best at mixing patters or layering.  I'm more the matchey-matchey type and this tonal look from coats to dresses to tights down to adorable wingtip and multi-strap mary janes is right up my alley. I better start saving now because I really think I need every piece.  And with shoes in this many gorgeous, coordinated shades, I can't skimp in that department either.

But let's just get on with the pretty pictures, shall we...

All I can say is, Le Sigh!

Fashion Week Spring 2011: Mataano

One of the best parts of Fashion Week, to me any ways, is to learn about new designers that I have not heard of before.  They usually have an unexpected perspective and, because they are so new, they get very creative executing their presentations.

One of the loveliest I saw during the week (yep, I'm really spacing out these show posts) was the Mataano presentation.

Per their information sheet (I love to see how they present themselves.  Must be the Marketing person side of me):

Twins Ayaan and Idyl Mohallim launched Mataano with a Spring 2009 capsule collection to honor the unique and beautiful traditions found all over the world through their brand. The twin’s love and appreciation of rich cultural diversity has always inspired their designs. By tapping into their Somali, and American heritage, they aim to bring a multi cultural approach to design. Mataano’s attention to craftsmanship and styling is changing the way women dress to accommodate a global lifestyle where elegance must meet a woman’s everyday needs.

Spring/Summer 2011 Collection

For our Spring/Summer 2011 Collection you will sense nostalgia for the late1950’s to early 1960’s, but we didn’t let it overpower our modern sensibility. The highlight of this collection is the use of silk; from Italian shantung to printed organza you will find an array of silk blends. We wanted our customer to feel light and airy in her Spring clothes. The color palette presents an interesting marriage of unexpected light and dark tones to give the option for day and evening.

What was interesting was the venue.  The presentation was at the Museum of Biblical Art which is filled with these amazing example of iconography.   The room was hushed and the clothes, some on models and some on mannequins, contrasted with the intricate gilt displayed throughout.  Because this was a presentation, I was able to get up close to see the details of the pieces and take my time capturing shots.

Here are a few of my takes:

Here are some of the full shots provided but the designers:

That last look is my favorite.  I love the lace insets in the black and creme pieces but the flirty skirt and billowy jacket top looks comfortable and elegant. 

To learn more about Mataano visit them online or email them at info@mataano.com

Designer Focus: Have Fun With It and Kobi Levi

You may have thought the no-heel or reverse-heel shoes were strange, unusual and probably a challenge to walk on but Kobi Levi takes his designs to a new level.  I love the idea that he sees shoes as art and that his designs are "alive" even without the foot.




"Double Boots"

 Some of his designs are a bit naughty but they are all interesting.


"Dog"




"Market Trolly"




"Rocking Chair"




"Tulip"




"Tongue"


These last two are my favorites.  Go check out the paw pad soles.


"Miao"

  And I would wear the heck out of these. The "chewing gum" heel is genius.

 This is what I want to see  - unique, fun designs.  Not copycats.  Sure, some of these are out there but that's a good thing.  Why be boring?

Go to his site or below to see all of his designs and more pics of each.

Thanks to DesignBoom and Fashionista for sharing!