In keeping with the theme of a lazy weekend at the beach, in 1946, we turn our eye to Rosa Cha. If you don’t know this line, you probably should; it’s an award-winning bathing suit line designed by Brazilian, Amir Slama. It has an insane following. And gorgeous criss-crossy wedge sandals set off the line fabulously.

Please excuse any fuzziness; these photos were taken whilst the girls were in motion.

I love that it kind of looks like a high heel embedded in a wedge. It’s the modern equivalent to the Roman bas relief sculpture, no? I don’t love the pantaloon tied around the food inside the shoe, but the shoe itself rocks. And the criss-crossy (I want to write the Kris Kross…remember them…Jump! Jump!) ones are even better.

On the other hand we have Jen Kao. She showed a very architectural collection paired with stunning jewelry and incredible shoes. Each model wore the same pair of shoes. Can you see why?

Jen Kao’s bathing suit is decidedly not 50s, we’re talking about 2050. The dress on the showcases several trends for Spring 2010. We have the body-conscious silhouette, the miniskirt, the pale pinks and greys, the strong shoulder, and the corset top. Welcome to the future.

Jen herself wore some leather ankle flames to her show. No, that is not a metaphor. See for yourself.

I borrowed the Jen Kao photos from style.com. Unfortunately, mine were just too blurry.

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I love Hayden-Harnett. I LOVE Hayden-Harnett. Back in February, trainingheels gave you all the 411 on this Brooklyn design company and their beautiful bags and shoes. Their pieces are interesting and unusual as well as being beautifully made and comfortable. AND I just got an amazing deal…details to come later. Anyway, their Sp2010 line of bags, shoes, and clothes rocked a distinct 50s look, especially the high-cut bathing suits that are ALL the rage right now. For real. I kid you not.

Let’s start the show:

Did I mention their show was called “Lava Fields of Love”? Wanna see why?

CLOSE UP!

Trippy.

Seriously though, as a direct result of the name of this show I kept hearing the following in my head during the entire show:

We are young, heartache to heartache we stand
No promises, no demands
Love is a battlefield

Yeah. Get that out of your heads. I dare you.

I love this model, by the way. She is from Australia and I have seen her several times. She’s super sexy and her name is Silvana Lovin. Which is so much fun to say. I deeply hope that her email address is Lovin@home, or Lovin@the beach, or Lovin@Shoeblog or something of that nature. Very sweet, too.

PS - Hayden Harnett also produced the cuffs that several of the models are wearing. LOVE!

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Hello all and welcome to Bryant Park 2009! Or rather Spring 2010 (bet you didn’t know that fashion can involve time travel). I have seen many collections right up close and some famous folks, from somewhat farther away. There have been clothes! There have been uppity PR people. And there have been some amazing shoes.

Let get this started.

Vena Cava, the edgy design duo that becomes more and more beloved by young New York with every passing season showed their collection in a runway/presentation combo. First, the girls came out walking to the music of The Fiery Furnaces. Then they stopped and perched on metal ladders so that onlookers could see the fine detailing of the collection up close. For the most part, the shoes were standard chunky-heeled numbers, but a gold heeled bootie and another with cut-outs added some edge to an edgy collection. Oh! And they used electric boogaloo….I mean blue polish on the toenails and black on the fingernails. I am loving the hypercolor nail trend! Here are my photos:

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The gold ones are kinda modern Doc Martern-y. Cute, fun, and solid.

Scorecard

Vena Cava shoes by Robert Clergerie: B

Check out the awesome tribal-inspired jewelry they had as well:

Oh my god, is that a bustier top and an acid washed dress? I am SO having a Buffy the Vampire Slayer THE MOVIE flashback because that is like so totally retro. (A la Hilary Swank in her, I will do ANYTHING to be in a movie days)

Just for fun:

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For the uninitiated, DIY stands for “Do it Yourself.” In fashion, it refers to people who take it upon themselves to modify or create their clothing to make it their own. No one has a more personal style than a fashion DIY-er.  It’s not easy to take a pair of scissors to a dress or write all over a pair of shoes if you haven’t done it before. I know. I used to think that the clothes were sacred! They were the way they were for a reason! This is clearly some mythic idea I concocted in my brain. It’s gone now. Payless has taken it upon themselves to make the first step easier by introducing the Friendship shoe.

This all-white shoe is sold with a package of three markers in order to give you the little push you might need to start scribbling on and personalizing your shoes. Originally, the idea came from kids. Remember, in school how important is was that EVERYONE in your class signed your yearbook or your cast (if you managed to break an arm)? These let you collect signatures with the need for tragic accident or the end of the year. But they don’t stop there. In addition to running wild with the pens that come with the shoes, you can also expand on the idea by adding feathers, paint, rhinestones, studs, fabric, or anything else in your craft arsenal. The possibilities are endless. The shoes come in both adult ($22.99) and children’s ($17.99) sizes and are available online as well as in stores in the New York Metro area (which includes New Jersey, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania).

Did I mention that 100% of the proceeds from these shoes go to The Fresh Air Fund? This wonderful nonprofit program raises money to allow inner city kids to experience summer camp and outdoor activities free of charge. It literally provides kids with “fresh air.” Those of you who live in places that have large quantities of nature may not understand just how important this program is. I live in the center of Manhattan. On a regular day, it’s entirely possible that I may not actually see a tree, or anything else that grows. Kids in the city have little access to nature and little opportunity to run and play. This is an essential part of childhood and I cannot express to you how vital it is for a healthy childhood. I believe the Fresh Air Fund is providing children and families with a tremendous service.

To give you all some idea of the possibilities of the Friendship shoe, take a look at what our beloved Christian Siriano did with his pair:

That Christian has a way with feathers.

Another famous name, at least in the business of high-end athletic shoes and graphic design, also took a shot at the Friendship shoe. Jeff Staple has designed some of the most sought-after shoes in Nike’s history as well as limited runs for New Balance. He will be designing an entire collection of Airwalk shoes for Payless that will debut in Fall 2009.

So there you have it. The Friendship shoe gives you a chance to do some good, get some comfy kicks, and express your personality in one easy step.

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OK Ladies (and the odd gentleman), who loves Christian Siriano? Let me hear you! Who is fascinated by how his maniacal fashion mind works as he manages to succeed in an industry that often crushes new designers and an economy that crushes everybody else? Me! I am!

I got a chance to talk to Christian at the Fall Release event for Payless at their showroom in Manhattan. I will admit that most of the information in the interview is paraphrased (hey, I had a notebook, not a tape recorder). But these are the facts. The cold, hard facts.

Part 1: Memories….la la la la

So we all remember the runway versions of Christian Siriano’s soon-to-be-ready-to-footwear. They were…aspirational. Celebrities starting wearing them even before they tripped lightly down the runway at his Fall 2009 show. Needless to say, the question of how those 7-inch stunners would be modified for a population who walks farther than runway–>limo–>premiere–>limo was foremost in my mind. Here’s a reminder of what the runway versions looked like:

Cute, but Ouch!

Part 2: Here comes the love

First of all, let me say that Siriano was the picture of graciousness throughout the Payless event. He chatted with all the journalists who were milling around, smiling and posing for photos. My Payless contact told me that he had come in on a red-eye flight that morning, but you certainly couldn’t tell by looking at him. After exchanging greetings, I dove into the interview.

Twinkletoes: Can you tell me about the inspiration for your Payless collection?

Christian: My inspiration is the diva, Cleopatra, in Egypt. You can see in the colors palette that we have the browns of the sand and the blue of the Nile. The detailing also comes from Egypt; we have inverted pyramid zipper pulls and a blue hieroglyphic-like pattern. Even the curved, conical heel is an inverted pyramid. Also, the snakeskin-like fabric is totally Egypt.

T: Talk to me a little about how your runway shoes are different from the shoes that will be sold at Payless.

CS: The Payless shoes are definitely modified to make them more wearable, but they are very similar. I designed the runway shoes with Payless, so don’t think that the retail shoes will be inferior in any way. The Payless customer wants an everyday shoe, not something they can wear just once. You can see that the retail shoes are dramatic enough with the color and the details. They don’t need to be 7 inches high for drama. They have enough drama on their own.

T: I noticed that on the blue hieroglyphic bootie, the zipper is farther toward the front of the shoe than on most ankle boots. Was there a reason for that design decision?

CS: I was to democratize fashion a little and I love it when people take something and make it their own. With the zipper moved forward like this, the wearer can actually unzip it part way and fold over the top, making a whole different look. On the runway, the shoes actually had a double zipper so that they could be modified even more.

T: How was designing your collection for Payless different from designing your own collection?

CS: Well, first of all, working with Payless was wonderful. They have so many resources so there are a million different options. At the same time, when I design for Payless, the first this I have to think about is making my design wearable, then I add drama. It’s actually the opposite process when I design my own collection. With my line, it’s all about the drama. I want it to be fabulous. If it’s not, then my take is “If it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work. Let’s throw a poncho on her and call it a day.” Wearability comes later. I loved working with Payless though! And there are plans in the works for more collections! I am already working on a Holiday collection and a Resort collection and there will be a Spring collection as well. This is just the beginning.

T: Do you have a deep-rooted love of shoes?

CS: Actually, my sister has over 400 pairs of shoes! And they are dramatic ones, not everyday ones. I remember that when we were little, she would get a new pair of shoes every week, so that there were so many of them in all kinds of colors. She loves shoes. One of the perks of me designing, in general and for Payles is that I can send my shoes to her and my mom. So far, I haven’t heard any complaints from them. So it definitely comes from them.

***

Christian’s shoes for Payless are due out in August and they are very cute. He stayed true to the runway versions for the most part, bringing the heels down a notch and dropping a chain or a spike here and there.  There are also even some flats in the collection for the girl on the go. All the shoes will be priced below $50.00, which is true for all the designer collaborations at Payless. Detailed photos won’t be available until late summer, but ladies, get ready to pounce on Payless when those shoes debut. For a sneak peak at the collection check out this photo from Racked.com.

I just want to thank Payless for letting me talk with Christian so I can share his thoughts with all of you. There is more coming from the Payless event. They are a brand that has come a long way in the last several years, becoming more recognizable and more respectable. I will also be posting about their designer collaboration with Alice & Olivia and their eco-friendly line Zoe & Zac as well as some other tidbits. Stay tuned!

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