While it’s true for sure that I’m a sucker for the eclectic, romantic melodrama of a John Galliano collection, I’m also pretty consistently drawn to Jean Paul Gaultier’s playful combinations of flirty-and-flowing with structured-and-sculpted.

This time around, the shoes incorporated that blending nicely.

They played with combinations of leather and satin and chains and buckles and straps and cut-outs that left me happily nodding in approval.

(images from Elle.com)

I can’t decide which one I want most.  That last one with the blue heel is fab.  But that green satin calls to me.  And the black and white open-toe pump is gorgeous and playful all at once.

Good thing then (for my wallet as well as my bone structure) that none of these will likely ever actually be coming home with me.

Doesn’t stop me from dreaming, though.

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I always think it’s fitting that Paris Fashion Week is the one that rounds out the ready-to-wear collections.  Because they always live up to their reputation for fashion creativity, those French designers.

This year is no exception.

Most obviously, we’ve seen the insane 11 inch, heel-less (or functional heel-less) Nina Ricci shoes.  But the other designers have stood up and brought their A games.

Olivier Theyskens wasn’t the only one playing around with fetish footwear inspirations.  His Nina Ricci designs are clearly related to shoes like these:

But the A. F. Vandevorst shoes also seem to be taking a hoof-shod page from pony style fetish shoes.

The Anne Valérie Hash show brought us basket-weaving gone glam.

Rick Owens showed a parade of wild boots that sprouted voluminous bunches of fabric and leather, and that, to my great surprise, actually worked.  Like, to the point that I want a pair of these boots.

A couple designers thus far have shown us—gasp!—flats.  Yohji Yamamoto, whose footwear I can’t say I cared for one little bit…

… and Dai Fujiwara at Issey Miyake, whose footwear I’m more than a little bit in love with.

But does it come as any sort of surprise at all that my favorite shoes of Paris Fashion Week thus far belong to the Christian Dior show and the amazingly creative brain of the one and only Mr. John Galliano?  It really shouldn’t.  I think I always love his shoes best.  I think it’s in my contract somewhere.  My contract for existing.

But really, look at these lovely, ornate, fanciful things.  Look at the heel detailing and the strap detailing and the ties around the ankle and… well… let’s just say I won’t be breaking my Galliano pattern this season.

(Paris Fashion Week images from Elle.com and Style.com)

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It’s only fitting that on this, the last day of London Fashion Week, I offer up a summary of what we’ve seen here on this side of the Pond.  The British shows are always full of a bit more cheek than the sleek-n-chic American ones, and this year was no exception.

There was lots of 80s look and playful mixing of vintage and space-age styling or traditional shapes in up-to-the-minute materials (or vice versa).

Take, for example, the Vivienne Westwood Red Label show.  She twisted the idea of the brogue and the riding boot with fanciful curlicues and pops of color, and then used some beautiful, Baroquian damasks in various contemporary styles.

The Eley Kishimoto collection was chock full of delightfully playful shoes like these.

(PS-In case you couldn’t tell by now from all the NYC and London photos, it’s time to make sure you’ve got your metallic sparkly tights all lined up for fall.)

Bora Aksu showed a bunch of shoes that should be pleasing to high-fashion Lolis everywhere.

And the trends we saw in New York were surely present in London, too.  To see some examples (as well as my very favorite collection from London Fashion Week), click on to the cut.

Read the rest of this entry »

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My mama always told me trends come in threes.  Didn’t yours?

No?  Well, ok, my mama didn’t exactly say that either, but I think we can safely assume that three designers picking up a shoe trend means it’ll be making an appearance at the retail level for us plebs.  And I can’t say as I’m unhappy about that when the shoe trend in question is the lacy details that showed up in the Marchesa and 3.1 Phillip Lim shows and then again yesterday at Rebecca Taylor.

Me, I wouldn’t pair these pumps with trouser socks, but you know… whatever floats your boat.

Zac Posen seems to be trying to send some business over to the folks who make the Bedazzler.  Otherwise, how to explain the rhinestones on some of his shoes.

Also, no, your eyes are not deceiving you.  That is a velvet and clear vinyl knee boot on the right there.  *shudder*  Not a Zac Posen fan, me.  Very much not.

But the show I was most looking forward to, in news that should surprise none of you if you’re faithful Shoeblog readers, was Christian Siriano’s.  Much as I may find the man incredibly annoying to listen to, I can’t argue that he has great conceptual clothing.  And after Twinkletoes’s preview hinted at fabulous shoes to come, I was giddy with the anticipation.

And then came the show itself.  And you know what?  Christian Siriano’s shoes were the best part.

They’re edgy and cool and young and sleek, if not anything terribly far outside the box.  They sure as hell outdo the clothing, if you ask me.  Apart from two dresses, I found the whole thing to be a largely shapeless, unflattering collection of blah browns occasionally enlivened by a metallic texture or a teal tone.  Dare I say it (and here’s something I never would have thought I’d say about Christian), a lot of the outfits looked cheap and poorly-made, and the shoes are what provided the style spark.  Case in point:

That dress is a horror.  I’m sorry to be blunt about it, but that looks like something I could pick up at Forever 21 for $19.  The shoes, though?  Well, the shoes are a very Christian-appropriate FIERCE (and look at the retreating model’s gorgeous footwear, too)!

For those of you who followed that particular Project Runway season (and you can check out our shoe coverage over this way), you’d certainly recognize the over-dependence on ruffles and giant shoulder-bulging sleeves.  I’m disappointed in the line overall.  Except for the shoes.  And except for these two dresses, which are—to use another keyword of Christian’s—fabulous.

Want to check out the rest of Christian’s line?  Elle has pics here.  Agree with my assessment?  Disagree?  Comment your little hearts out.

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If the shoes are anything to go by, there were apparently some highly suspect events going on at Bryant Park yesterday.

A tiger got loose at the Oscar de la Renta show and slashed the hell out of some unlucky model’s feet.

Michael Kors decided to use his fall 2009 collection to let the world know that he’s giving up American sportswear and moving into S&M gear.

And a serious case of repeated projectile vomiting was clearly had by some front-row inhabitant at the Richard Chai show.  I’m only offering one example of this embarrassing illness, but believe me, this was not an isolated incident.

But despite such heart-breaking occurrences, there were some pretties on display, too.

Oscar de la Renta and Doo.Ri joined ranks with Matthew Williamson to prove once and for all that heel zips will surely be forthcoming for fall.

OK, so that Doo.Ri one might not survive the deadly leather-eating virus eating away at it.  But if it manages to pull through with minimal scarring, the button-up spats that were also part of the line might help as a facelift.  You all know how much I love a spat.

And last, but certainly not least—in fact, I’d go completely the opposite direction and say that is the GREATEST—the Marchesa (sweet little booties with faceted heels) and 3.1 Phillip Lim (metallic trims and red soles) shows suggested we may be seeing more lace, which, in combination with the chunky platforms and mixed textures, is a playful and ladylike trend I can wholeheartedly get behind.

Note: In case the red soles look familiar, that is because Christian Louboutin continued his successful collaboration with 3.1 Phillip Lim for the fall 2009 collection.

A mixed bag of a day, but in the end I like to think the triumphs outweighed the tragedies of this round of fashion shows.

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