8020NYC Mayne Bootie

I  can’t decide how I feel about this boot from the 80%20 2009 Holiday Collection.

80%20 ‘Mayne’ wedge $183.99 , $91.70 at Endless in 6.5, $91.99 at Eilatan

I like the embossed leather, I like the idea of a wedge bootie, but I’m not sure how I feel about the wedge +studs + embossing all wrapped up together.

So, your opinions, please.

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Gently Loved: Shopping Yoogi’s Closet

I was recently introduced to Yoogi’s Closet by one of my sisters who happens to share my interest in shoes.  She and I have widely different tastes in shoes and fashion, but we both appreciate a good value. And Yoogi’s Closet is all about getting value for your shopping dollar.

Their vision, in their own words:

All photos via Yoogi’s Closet website except where otherwise noted.

Yoogi’s Closet is a service for buying and selling authentic pre-owned luxury items.

• Widen the customer base for exclusive luxury brands by providing a trusted source for gently used luxury goods.
• Only offer items that were guaranteed to be authentic and could serve as an affordable alternative to replicas (yuck!).
• Offer a return policy that matched or exceeded that for new goods purchased from authorized retailers.
• Provide a way for owners to sell or trade-in their luxury items to a trusted source.

Yoogi’s closet is a favorite for Sis when she is feeling window-shoppy and doesn’t want the guilt & sticker shock encountered at full-retail websites (you all know the ones I’m talking about).  Of course, like anything else, if you are prone to BUI (buying under the influence), you might want to avoid Yoogi’s if you have already had a glass or two of wine and haven’t locked up your credit cards.

On the other hand, if you are currently in the market for new pair of shoes or designer bag, it’s worth your time to take a peek.

Here are just a few bargains to be had at the moment:

Jimmy Choo Beige Crystal Calf Boots size 11.5 $325

Louis Vuitton Damier Pony Hair Bowtie Heels size 9 $365

Yves St. Laurent Fuschia Vitello Platform Sandals size 9 $365

Christian Louboutin Red Patent Rolando Decolette Vernice Chic Platform size 5 $485

Yoogi’s Closet is easy to navigate and allows you to shop by size, color, price point, or designer. The stock changes periodically, so you never know what you will find.

My sister loves the site and recently took the shopping plunge.  Her shoes arrived within days and look fabulous.

Her purchase? A pair of amazing, green, Manolo Blahnik sandals:

Photo taken by L. W.

Unfortunately, I will have to wait awhile while I continue to reduce my debt load before I can do more than window shop here. But, that doesn’t have to stop any of you folks who are less contrained budget-wise than I.

Designer style that doesn’t leave you in the poorhouse is welcome at any time.

Art-to-Wear by Studio Jellyfish

Last month I had a short telephone call with Courtney and Philip Mason, the owners of a young art-to-wear brand named ‘Studio Jellyfish’.  Call it  a mini-interview, if you wish.

And, despite the writer’s block that has been for some reason confounding me on this article (this is at least the 3rd draft I have worked on thus far), I am determined to finish this today.  Luckily, the hand-painted artwork of these shoes and handbags is striking enough to speak for itself, so I’ve decided to start with a few images to ‘get the conversation going’.

These painted ladies all have their own personality – and names.   Names like ‘Golden Goddess’, ‘Blueberry Girl’ and ‘Bubblegum Girl’.  You won’t find any generic style numbers here.

Of course, with every pair carefully embellished by hand, would you expect anything else?

Per Courtney, each ‘girl’ has been designed prior to appearing on a shoe or accessory, and is then free-handed onto the fashion canvas using a paint pen medium. The handmade nature of the creative process makes each pair of shoes subtly unique.

When asked if she had a favorite, Courtney answered without a bit of hesitation, “Bubblegum Girl, and some new ones that are in the works.” (Bubblegum Girl is on the second row at the left.)

According to Philip, one of their goals is to bring fine art into everyday accessible fashion. “all day, every day”.  And it looks like they have a growing consumer fan base that agrees.  In fact, in the just over 4 months that they have been operating their various websites (online shopfront & etsy.com), they have had orders ranging from the United States to Ireland, London, and Saudi Arabia.  They also have plans in the works to expand into more mainstream fashion which will include denim and shirts and will continue to feature their signature ‘girls’.

So, who are their favorite designers or other influences?  Ferragamo was immediately mentioned for classic appeal and style. When I mentioned how much their visual style reminded me of the bold simplicity of Patrick Nagel’s works – but with a hint of Gwen Stefani’s Harajuku Girls, Philip agreed, saying, “You pretty much nailed it on the head.”  He also noted in a separate comment that “We have twelve years working as graphic designers. We love what we do. We wanted to do something for ourselves and it seemed like a natural transition to move that onto shoes and fashion.”

Oh, and about the name; why Studio Jellyfish?

(Politely interrupting each other)

“That goes back to when we first met. We both loved, still love the ocean.  There was this South Beach hotel with a jellyfish tank in the lobby. It reflects our love of the sea and has a lot of our past and memories in it.”

So, writers block defeated.  Plus, there’s even a small positive to come from it;  Studio Jellyfish is now holding a spring sale which ends on March 30th.

Want a closeup of those thigh-highs?

Meet “Sassy Sally“:

If you are one of those (not me) tall gals who can wear high boots, these won’t be around forever. Truly a statement shoe if ever there was one.

Related news/information:

944.com, Fashiontrendsetter, TheGloss, Trendhunter, & Shoewawa.

Stiletto Fetish Shoes in Royal Oaks, MI (Website under construction).

Burberry Laser Cut Shoes

I have been a huge fan of laser cut shoe detail since I first encountered this Cavalli T7711 shoe several years ago (’07).

And, while the color contrast of the rainbow backing fabric was too busy for some people, the flawless detail of the leather with it’s peakaboo cutouts has never lost it’s charm to me. I almost  forgot to breath when I first saw this shoe; you just don’t forget when you have that kind of gut reaction to something. Oh, and there was a matching roll clutch…just amazing.

So, while I could never justify $700+ on sale for this particular variation, the last 3 years have seen more companies entering into the laser-cut detail arena. This, to my mind, is a good thing.

I was reminded of this shoe the other day at Nordstrom Seattle when I saw this shoe on display in the Shoe Salon area:

Burberry ‘Nova Broderie Anglaise’ pumps $550 $364.90 at Nordstrom.com, $358 at Zappos Couture.

Another peek-a-boo, window-paned shoe with a little more color subtlety than the Cavalli. This time the cutouts are flirting with the signature Burberry plaid and successfully abstracting it in the process!

When I checked online, I found it was also available in a both peep-toe pump and a ballerina flat.

Burberry Nova Broderie Anglaise Peep-Toe Pumps $550 $358 at Zappos Couture

Burberry Nova Broderie Anglaise Ballerina Flat $495 $322

I can’t help but find the whole effect to be rather charming. If that qualifies my taste as a little over the top, I can live with that.

Spot the Shoe on Sale: Marc by Marc Jacobs Part 2

Seriously, this must be Marc by Marc Jacobs sale week.  Yesterday we reported on MBMJ flats on sale for $59 at Yoox.  Today, we are presented with even more lovely Marc by Marc Jacobs shoes for 85% off – some are now priced starting at $40! Yippee, it is definitely time to start building up that summer wardrobe with these season appropriate sale shoes.

Silver Marc by Marc Jacobs flats for $48.

Slingback Marc by Marc Jacobs espadrilles for $48.

Camel tone sandals from Marc by Marc Jacobs for $40!

None of these strike your fancy?  Well, I don’t know why they wouldn’t but here’s the link to the MBMJ footwear sale at 6pm.com, sorted by price.