Shoe blog

Alaïa Cutout Boots

It’s no secret that my love for Alaïa runs deep. The Tunisian-born haute couturier is nothing short of fabulous, at times feminine and flirty, and at times dark and intense, and the label persistently does what it wants, decade after decade, not what fashion mandates dictate.

Speaking of fashion mandates, a lot of designers, fashion editors and pundits have recently decried the mass consumerization of designers’ work, which they claim has brought about a cult of monogrammed bags, perfumes and celebrities being more important than the clothes they’re wearing.

See one fashion editor’s quote after the jump, and find out how much this boot costs.

Catherine Lardeur, the former editor and chief of French Marie Claire in the 1980s, said, “Fashion is dead. Designers nowadays do not create anything, they only make clothes so people and the press would talk about them. The real money for designers lie within perfumes and handbags. It is all about image. Alaia remains the king. He is smart enough to not only care about having people talk about him. He only holds fashion shows when he has something to show, on his own time frame. Even when Prada owned him he remained free and did what he wanted to do.”

I personally think it’s all about how you make it personal. Why look blindly at what celebrities wear and applaud it, or get a monogrammed bag, rather than looking to your own unique, personal style? I cull from anywhere and everywhere, from thrift shops to Bergdorf. To me, fashion is intuitive. I know instantaneously which shoes I gravitate towards — do you or do you approach it more logically?

When I look at a boot like this, I know I will never be able to afford it, and most of it will not be able to, but that’s ok, because it is more of an art piece, and it can inspire us. We can admire the loveliness of craft, and let it inspire us to cut out some lace, or vinyl, and use that as spats. Or cut out designs from boots we already have. Or wear lacy socks with our black heels. Or even buy similar shoes that align more to our budgets!

We salute you, Stubborn Alaïa, for staying true to your vision and freedom. These $2495 boots (in-store, visit Bergdorf Goodman) will never be in my shoe rack, but they beautified, inspired and impressed me. They pretty much blow all other cutouts I’ve seen out of the water! Even the cutouts on the heel are superartsy and beautiful.