Fur Flies This Fall

So, as you may have noticed, fur and leather are huge for this fall. You may currently be wrinkling your nose in disgust or you may be jumping for joy, but that’s what you’ll be seeing on the streets.

J. Mendel NYFW SS'11, via nymag.com

Be they pleather, be they faux, or be they real, these animal looks are intense and can be in-your-face and yet sleek and polished at best. These aren’t your granny’s thrift shop leopard prints or fur stoles. While the fur clothes for this fall and spring are more subtle, like the J. Mendel boleros, the shoes get a little chance to scream, “I’M AN ANIMAL!”

You won’t want to miss: photos of crazy, awesome, weirdo furry shoes to rival a yeti, after the jump!

(more…)

Lanvin Python & Mongolian Fur Pumps

No surprise to any of our regular readers is the rather obvious fact that I like shoes.  This is beyond the actual ‘shoes I’d like to wear’ and into the land of ‘If I had an unlimited budget I’d consider opening a shoe-museum’.  There are simply too many love-them or hate-them… yet always interesting-to-look-at shoes being made for me to own (let alone wear) even a fraction of the styles that pique my interest.

On a more serious note, on researching the source of the Mongolian fur trim of these shoes (most likely lambswool from nomadic Mongolian flocks) I encountered several articles devoted to  last year’s tragic Mongolian winter; a winter so severe that close to 8 million herd animals died. This has left many nomadic herders struggling to survive with those few herd animals that remain.  Selling their goat cashmere, lambswool and other herd skins is especially important to those now barely surviving this devastating event.  This is a case where designer items are

Lanvin python and Mongolian fur pumps $1990 via Net-a-porter

(more…)

Alaia Lasercut Haircalf Suede Booties

Alaia cutout calf hair platform pumps $2375 via Net-a-porter.

These layered, laser-cut overlay booties almost make me wish I could get married all over again just to have an excuse to own them.  They visually scream,  “Unforgettable fall wedding.”  Lucky, indeed, is the gal who scores these  beautiful ankle boots to wear under her wedding gown.

(more…)

Givenchy Stocking Ankle Boots

Quite a few Fall 2010 runways featured the below-the-knee socks trend that was worn under booties.  Of the shoes seen on the runway, I’m fascinated by the Givenchy Stocking Ankle Boot because the stocking is included with the boot.  On one hand, I love this idea – no need to worry about accessorizing with the right pair of socks.  Givenchy has already taken care of this for you.   Conversely, I wonder if I’d have to wear a sock under the Givenchy sock boot to keep my toes dry.  Also what happens if Givenchy’s sock gets dirty?  It doesn’t seem like I would be able to (more…)

Marc Jacobs Fall 2010 Boots

I like my boots cute, sassy, and wearable. Sky-high, stiletto, knee boots may be sexy as hell, but they are just too impractical for the wet, windy, and occasionally icy conditions that fall and winter bring into the life of a gal living in the Pacific Northwest.

So, now I must give a big “Thank you” to Marc Jacobs for apparently reading both my heart and mind  -  because this year’s fall boots are right down my alley. I just hope I can find a way to finagle at least one of them into my budget and, by extension, my closet.

Marc by Marc Jacobs fold-over suede and leather lace-up ankle boots $395 at Saks.com.

(more…)