My dear and darling Shoeblog readers!

How I have missed you!

I have been involved in preparing for and then accomplishing a move from New York to London, and I’ve been at the mercy of a million things to do, spotty internet access, and a jam-packed schedule.

But I’m back now.  Settled into my place in London and ready to resume shoe coverage from this side of the Atlantic.

What better post to start with for this inaugural post from the land of tea and crumpets than a comparison of the fantabulous shoes in the windows of two retail giants: Saks Fifth Avenue in NYC and Harvey Nichols in London Town.

Saks, before I left, was displaying a neat little thing.  The results of this charity project.  Yes, every Wizard of Oz lover’s dream: designer versions of Dorothy’s fabulous ruby slippers (incidentally, the subject of my very first ever Shoeblog post).

Here are a few snaps from the super clever window displays out on the street.

The other designers’ efforts were in glass cases on the shoe floor upstairs, but the star of the show was this pair of alternate ruby slippers that were screen-tested, but never made it into the film.

Pretty glam, no?

What a lovely farewell to the shoe world of New York.

And one transatlantic flight and a lot of running around later, here’s a welcome to the shoe world of London.  And it’s for sure nothing to scoff at.

Because the windows of London fashion mecca, Harvey Nichols, are also brim-full of gorgeous designer footwear.  To wit:

Pretty fab, right?

And then, around the corner in the windows on Knightsbridge were these GORGEOUS Louboutins:

All that blue and black feathery divine frou frou business had me at hello, as they say.

Oh, and before I forget, the Chanel store down the street had a familiar pair of pocket pumps prominently put forward.

And so, welcome to Shoeblog’s bi-continental era.  Stay tuned for more glam shoes from London.

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Ladies, what are your thoughts on the Chanel bulb shoe from the Paris-Londres 2007/2008 collection?  Was this a lightbulb moment or did the lights simply go out?

When asked about this creative heel,  Karl Lagerfeld said  “It’s a chic way to have your shoes shine – literally!”

One thing is for sure. With the help of a built in battery, you are sure to glow everywhere you go in these shoes.

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Today’s Fall 08 couture shows included red carpet faves Chanel, Christian Lacroix, and Givenchy.

What did they bring us?

The Chanel show was a beautifully structured collection in shades of gray, black, and white.  I’m not always a huge Karl Lagerfeld fan, but this particular blending of classic Chanel styling (sportswear, suiting, etc) and daring silhouettes hit me just right.

The shoes were variations on this one (and by variations, I mean differing shades of grey, black, and white to match the outfits):

 Classic, elegant, with a slightly quirky heel.  Not the most fantabulous, but nice.

Fantabulousness was brought full on at the Christian Lacroix show, where the maestro (or perhaps I should say maître) offered up a wild riot of fabric and color and pattern that includes a whole bunch of dresses and shoes that look like they’ve come out of a Velazquez painting.

The shoes definitely belong on royal feet.  Dare I say they remind me of some of our previously posted Friday Shoe History Corner fashions?  I do.  I do dare.  Plus, the array of excellent tights was fun to see.  I’m coveting this red and white pair in particular.

And that leaves us the Givenchy show, which fell somewhere in between Chanel and Lacroix as far as color and pattern, and frankly has the least attractive clothes, in my opinion.  But as you know, I’m a sucker for shoe accessories and for spats, and a whole slew of the Givenchy models had these fabulous gaiters/legwarmers going on.  I would love me a pair of them.  Except not those crazy stiped ones, please.  In fact, that whole outfit makes me slightly dizzy.

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-FabSugar covers the Chanel opening on Roberston Boulevard (above). Were the giant shoes taken from the Chanel Fall 2008 runway (pictures below)?

-Pain at the other pump: Shoe prices are expected to rise. -Via Baltimore Sun; My first thought: nooooo! Second thought: Hmm, maybe this is a good excuse to purchase shoes before the price increase.

-For Women Litigators: A Courtroom Footwear Dilemma? -Via Wall Street Journal Law Blog

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Chanel Cruise 2009 ‘Miami Vice’ shoe; Photo via Fashionologie.com

-According to FashionWeekDaily,

Lagerfeld had been inspired by an image of a gun he saw somewhere, and he gave the tear to shoe designer Laurence Dacade, who employed plexi to make them functional. Voila! The “Miami Vice” shoe, as it’s called in Chanel’s ranks, is born. And yes, you’ll see them in stores.

-How to buy ballroom dancing shoes;Via About.com

-Cute dog! But even that couldn’t redeem it from being Shoewawa’s ugly shoe of the week.

-We’ve had many inquiries on Giambattista Valli’s Victoria shoe. TheShoeDish has found the knock off version from Baker.

-It’s a battle of the shoe store titans.  DSW sues Zappos for brand misuse.  Via FootwearNews

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