Shoe blog

Messrs. L and B: Shoe Icons at Fashion Week

Though this fashion week’s shoes have been quite a bit less fanciful than those of yesteryear (or even just last season), some shoe icons are still participating in the scaled-down version of Fashion Week footwear.

Christian Louboutin remains the patron saint of high footwear. The man’s work is EVERYWHERE. At the fun and fanciful Barbie fashion show, the Divine Mr. L created human-size replicas of the iconic hot pink plastic stiletto heel that nearly every little girl slipped onto Barbie’s painfully pointed foot.

Here is a photo of the red-soled Barbie shoe with the dress that Carmen Mark Valvo designed for the collection. Update: These exclusive Louboutin for Barbie shoes are available now at LuisAviaAroma for $956.

These shoes were worn with some classic Barbie looks designed by various well-know folk. For example, DVF designed what looked like a day-to-night Barbie wrap dress and Bib Mackie did a very Cher-esque showgirl outfit set off by feathered eye makeup:

The Barbie show was fun and whimsical and the invitation specifically requested invitees to bring their daughter, niece, cousin, 4-year-old BFF, etc so the tent was full of glee.

Manolo Blahnik’s contribution to fashion week was much edgier. He collaborated with Band of Outsiders to create custom open-toed lace-up boots for their fall presentation. (Sounds like it wouldn’t work but it totally did). They could have starred in their own mini movie about a down-on-her luck fashion editor that has to take up boxing to support herself and the rhesus monkey that she adopted in hopes of making it her best friend or, in hard times, a coat. Instead, she takes up boxing (coached by the indomitable Clint Eastwood, of course) but can’t bring herself to put on the ugly boxing boots that come with the job so Band of Outsiders and Manolo come to her rescue. At he end of the saga, the viewer is left with many difficult questions like: Does the monkey get his own pair of mini boxing stilettos? Does the fashionista give up her new found career when Clint catches the Ebola virus from a very naughty monkey bite? How far is she willing to go to reach her dream of becoming the well-heeled boxing champion of the world? Would she, perish the thought, trade in Clint for Sylvester Stallone?

But I digress.

Anyway here are the shoes in question (photos courtesy of fashionista.com thanks to the poorly timed death of my camera battery):

And are you noting the cool contrasting toe tights? I love it. Manolo did an awesome job. And did I mention how clever Band of Outsiders’ presentation was? Rather than having models stand on pedestals that created and indoor-outdoor setting with old-fashioned lampposts for the models to lean against, park benches for them to sit on, telephone booths for them to feign calls in, and rope ladders for them to climb….toward the ceiling (perhaps it’s an allegory for reaching great fashion height? going to great lengths? reaching for the stars?)

Is cute, no? And who recognizes this model? I know that any of you watch some of the same embarassing television that I watch so I am betting the answer come right quick.

So to sum up: the Divine Mr. L and the Divine Mr. B contributed mightily to Fashion Week. Hurray for shoes!