SS12 Fashion Week Footwear: Derek Lam and Tommy Hilfiger

You know those multiple choice “Determine Your Style” quizzes you always find in fashion magazines and websites where they ask you a bunch of questions like “What essentials do have with you at all times?” and then they give you choices that run all the way from a) Wallet, phone, keys, and I’m good through to d) An extra pair of shoes, a change of earrings, 3 lipsticks, a rainproof trench, an Hermes scarf, the hottest smartphone of the moment, 12 credit cards, my e-reader, and the duffel-bag-sized purse to hold it all.

Yeah, those.

Anyway, I always come out of those being the girl who’s based in the classics and jazzes things up with accessories and mixtures of color and material.  So it should come as no surprise that as SS12 Fashion Week continues, my two favorite footwear collections so far have been Derek Lam and Tommy Hilfiger, both designers whose visions are based in the classics (of American sportswear) and jazzed up with mixtures of color and material.

Derek Lam took some simple silhouettes and combined texture and detail in playful ways, seen up at the top of this post.  And Tommy Hilfiger did this collection of loafers and boat shoes gone upscale in bright bold colors.  The mix of fabrics and patterns and patent leather and gold (love those stripes on the heels) have just about made me swoon.

SS12 Fashion Week Footwear: Spats at Victoria Beckham

Victoria Beckham’s show was full of clothes that look like Posh herself could show up wearing them somewhere, which I suppose is the mark of a successful celebrity designer.  Her clothes are exactly what you’d buy if you wanted to dress like La Beckham… and weighed approximately 90 pounds.

I’m not hugely blown away by the clothes (though they’re relatively wearable–I’d take that dress on the left pretty quick), but I LOVE her massive use of spats!

The majority of her outfits were accompanied by this often overlooked shoe accessory.  There were over-the-knee spats and snakeskin spats and zip-back spats and more.  Here are a few shots.

Now if only spats could show up in stores come Spring 2012.  I’ll keep my fingers (or, I guess, more properly, my toes) crossed for it.

Spring 2012 Shoe Trends: Buckles and Gold

The shoes keep on strutting down the runways, and we’re starting to see some recurring patterns that are making me happy.  If Spring 2012 brings these to bear fruit, we shall all be well-shod little ponies, friends.

Buckles, Buckles, BUCKLES

The models at the Christian Siriano (left), Duro Olowu (center), and Band of Outsiders (right) shows trotted out pretty pretty shoes that combine texture and color and material beautifully.  And WITH BUCKLES!!  I love me a shoe with buckles in lots of places.

Shiny Shiny Gold

Some designers are deploying this trend sparingly, like at the Erin Fetherston show (left), and some are going full-on Midas, like Cynthia Rowley (center).  And there there’s Jill Stuart (right), who’s doing some of both (note the mixing of pastels and gold on the front model’s shoe and the more prominent gold on the retreating model).

Not only do I love me some buckles, but I also never outgrew the little girl lust for SHINY, so the gold trend will also probably be gracing my shoe collection come next spring/summer.

Spring 2012 Shoe Trend: White on White

From Left to Right:  Alexander Wang, Rag and Bone, and Band of Outsiders

Don’t wory – there isn’t anything wrong color-wise with your monitors.  We’ve noticed the first spring 2012 shoe trend start to emerge. From the looks of it, white is the new black.  From Alexander Wang to the Band of Outsiders, designers have shifted away from bold neon colors and are opting for white footwear for spring 2012.   And it isn’t just limited to the feet either. Designers are showing in head to toe white with flowy white dresses, suits, etc.  We can’t wait for the rest of the designers to show and you can be sure we’ll update you on other shoe trends as they emerge.

SS12 Fashion Week Footwear: Past-Present-Future

New York Fashion Week marches on, and I’m happy to report that I’m relaxing a bit after yesterday’s worries of boredom.  Apologies for the lack of shoe detail shots (we use what our sources provide), but click any of these pics to see them larger.

Interestingly, there seem to be inspirations from lots of different time periods starting to parade down the runway.

Imitation (cousin to designer Tara Subkoff’s first fashion foray, Imitation of Christ) made repeated use of a shoe I love, with a vintage vibe that reminds me simultaneously of the Victorian/Edwardian era and of 30s/40s Old Hollywood glam.

Lacoste’s kicky color-blocking is probably my favorite footwear styling we’ve seen so far.  Clean and sporty like their clothes, and also stylish but practical and versatile.  Just right for today’s recessionista.

And as far as looking forward to the future for some shoe inspiration, both Prabal Gurung (on the left) and Sally LaPointe (on the right) showed us footwear that would look right at home on Blade Runner’s replicants.