WANT! - Salvatore Ferragamo Githa Pump

The evolution of "fish feet"....






Salvatore Ferragamo Studded Scale Githa Pumps via Luisa Via Roma - $1114

Perfect Pairings

I am very excited to see Baz Luhrmann's Australia. I was totally enamored with Moulin Rouge... more so than I ever expected to be. Much of that was due to the music but the fashion was, of course, amazing.

An Australia looks to be just as gorgeous.

What has really excited me was when I read that Salvatore Ferragamo was creating all of the shoes for the movie.

What is interesting, is that Ferragamo is not interpreting the styles of the era (as Manolo Blahnik did beautifully for Marie Antoinette) or using actual vintage shoes (pulled from the La Rose dead stock for Down With Love) but rather brought out styles from their actual archives to add a unique authenticity to the costume design:

"We are extremely proud and honored to work with the visionary filmmakers, director Baz Luhrmann and designer Catherine Martin. We were very confident that, through their passion and creativity, they would realize an unprecedented vision." states James Ferragamo. "My grandfather, Salvatore Ferragamo, began his career working in costume design for the American Film Company, a precursor to Twentieth Century Fox, so it is only fitting that we carry on his name and our company's heritage by collaborating once again on a film from Fox."

Ferragamo continues, "In fact, in The Covered Wagon (1923) one of the first films that my grandfather worked on, he created a pair of riding boots. These archival boots were referenced when creating the riding boots for Nicole Kidman's character."

In conjunction with costume designer Catherine Martin, the Ferragamo design studio referenced many shoes from the archives, including some worn by aristocrats during the '30s and '40s, characters similar to Lady Sarah Ashley. The color palette and design details, while created to help realize the filmmakers' fantastical vision, were also authentic to the designer and the period. The deep Ferragamo red that features in the evening sandal worn by Kidman's character during the pivotal Governor's Ball scene was already something of a House signature in the '40s. And the ribbed wedge detail featured in the shoe worn by Lady Sarah Ashley at her homestead on Faraway Downs derives from a style created originally for Katherine Hepburn.

All the shoes were made by hand, including this lovely evening sandal, in ruched deep red velvet with stingray accents. The sandal will be sold as a limited edition at Ferragamo stores worldwide. The shoes come in distinctive and collectible packaging and are accompanied by a certificate of authenticity that tells the history and unique features of the shoes.




While I love Victorian and Georgian style of dress, I am completely in love with the Post-Edwardian styles they have used to portray Lady Ashley. The structured, tailored looks with amazing detail work have a very strong appeal for me. I think I would dress this way all the time if I could.



This is in large part due to the equestrian elements that much of these styles are derived from. I rode dressage and did jumping for years and love the look. I actually feel more comfortable in a buttoned-up look like this than I do in something like jeans and tee's.



This movie is going to be EVERYWHERE over the next few months, but if you are eager to begin your immersion, here is even more to get you started:

Interview & Images in July 2008 Vogue

Gallery of images from Australia

I'm very excited to see what shoes they do end up selling and how they are received. Will this movie kick-off a trend for extreme tailoring as Moulin Rouge re-ignited a love of corsetry and decadence?

And just for some added fun, if you love horses, Australia or amazing filmwork, I hope you have seen The Man From Snowy River. This is one of the most amazingly filmed location movies ever and this scene in particular always gets me choked up and fills me with awe:

Delicate Shades for a new Season

One of the trends that is going strong for clothes and shoes well into early Winter and Spring is also one of my favorites- ombré. I don't know what it is but I love the delicate merging of two colors on bags and shoes, so here is a list of my favorite new pairs:

Marc Jacob Suede Mary Jane Pumps - Saks - $595



They may be a little "jazz shoe" but I love the way the silver looks as if some gorgeous powder got dusted all over the front and heels as if you were kicking up stardust.



More pretty Pradas - Patent Degrade Peep-Toe Pumps in white and quartz (taupe) - Bergdorfs - $495



And the Vernice Degrade Pump, also from Prada - Saks - $540



Above is the Bianco/Quarzo and below is Bianco/Ananas - I love the delicate taupe but think the yellow is much more striking.



I know these Prada Vernice Sfumata Mary Janes are kind of a Fall holdover but with the taupe front they would be light enough for the warmer months, especially if you need a good work shoe. Bergdorfs, $550.



These Stella McCartney Vinyl d'Orsays have a shaded heel and are very pretty with their bluish smoke grey vinyls front straps. Although I do think the price is kind of high. Neiman Marcus, $785.



Looking at the front this patent heel by Ferragamo does not seem Spring at all, but the heel totally compensates for that.



The heel treatment is just gorgeous and so unusual - almost painted looking. You can find them at Saks for $570.



Last but not least (okay, I guess it is least - the least expensive of the bunch) are my favorites - Stuart Weitzman's Sashay Peep-Toe Pumps. These are also available in black patent and fire (red) patent but I like the black/white version best. Not that this is cheap, but they are only $270 at Saks.



So pretty and a great heel shape, which I am also a sucker for.



I can't wait to mix some of these into my wardrobe. I'm not sure if it would be overkill, but I'd like to pair a blue/white gradiented dress with the Weitzman's.