The scene outside Christian Siriano’s Fall 2010 show was chaotic. In the midst of the pushing and shoving, I took a moment to reflect on the meteoric career of this pint-sized fashion phenom. Project Runway has had 6.5 seasons of varying success. Siriano is the only winner to have joined the ranks of the fashion elite consistently showing in the Bryant Park tents and dressing the likes of Christina Hendricks, Mena Suvari, Victoria Beckham and Rihanna. In the Project Runway world showdown, Siriano is the clear winner. (Though I would like to take this moment to point out that Chris March did dress Meryl Freakin’ Streep for the Golden Globes!) His sharp upward trajectory is the stuff of highly unrealistic dreams for young designers the world around.

Inside the tents, the madness only got worse. A wide array of celebs were completely surrounded by reporters who camera flashes all but overtook the blue-tinged lighting design, as they practically killed each other to get to Mena Suvari, Amber Rose (sans Kanye, but clothed for once!), Veronica Webb, and Leigh Lezark. Once the crush settled and people finally got to their seats the show began.

The theme of this collection was an edgy, modernized 18th/19th century Parisian woman. (Yes, you heard that right. It was both modern and antique.) The shoes in particular included details that were reminiscent of the curlicues that adorn the often ornate furniture of that era.

Let’s start with the good.

Being a sucker for heel adornment, I love the webbing between platform and heel. It looks a bit more like a wrought iron fence that a Rococo Desk to me, but it’s still good. Also notable is that that ultra high heel with built-in platform is definitely sticking around. I like it.

I also liked these booties with their curlicue half-wedges. The texture on the bootie itself adds some visual interest, not to mention the pattern of the wedge. Chrome accents have been popular for quite awhile now and it seems that this trend will be continuing into Fall 2010.

There was some talk that Siriano would create his own version of the famed Armadillo shoe crafted by his former mentor, the visionary Alexander McQueen, (whose recent tragic death is an immense sadness and such a tremendous loss). No such shoe appeared on his runway. While these are certainly lovely for what they are (they have an antique table leg thing going on with the heel there), I wonder if perhaps these were meant to be a significantly more understated version of the other shoes that appeared on McQueen’s Spring 2010 runway. These:

Now that I see them side-by-side, I wonder if I maybe let my imagination get the better of me, but it could be possible. It could.

Siriano’s other two attempts at footwear were a bit less successful. The sandal/booties seemed a bit…familiar and I thought that though they supported the edgy/classy dichotomy he was going for, they seemed a bit awkward. Maybe it was just that they were paired with sheer hose, a trend with which I will never be on board?

The fluffy, blue heels that he paired with his gowns were ribbony and ruffly and a bit bridal. It would be a really cool wedding, but still a wedding.

Overall, I thought that Christian showed growth as a designer. It’s clear that salability was more important to him this time ’round, which makes sense in the current economy. And frankly, I was not the biggest fan of his claw shoes from Spring. The patterns I LOVED, the claws….not so much. It will be interesting to see how he scales these down for his Payless line in the fall. The beauty of these shoes is in the small details; he dosen’t have the kooky fabrics or novelty zippers to work with in this go-round so I have my fingers crossed that he will retain the romanticism of the originals without losing too much to the lower-priced materials. (Imagine those beautiful molded black heels in cheap plastic…Eek!) Siriano has made legions of Payless customer happy with his fashion-forward designs and it seems that, with these, he is poised to continue to do so.

5 Comments »

Tod’s Pointy Decollette shoe is not only a charmer, it also has an amazing sole with great traction. It’s $345.99 at Saks. They only have the blue, so for the hot pink you’ll have to go to the 60th and Madison location.

2 Comments »

Searle at 59th and Madison is having a sale in its Delman Shoe Salon. Most shoes were in the low $100s or even lower.

No Comments Yet »

Windows, gorgeous windows. I live for them every holiday season in New York. And the decorations inside the department stores. Nothing like them.

Amongst my favorites were the Louis Vuitton windows at the flagship store on 57th Street. The customer service there is unbelievable. When I was riding high in the corporate days, my favorite person to spoil was my mum. One Christmas, I ordered her a bag there that was not out yet. They put me on a waiting list and called me as soon as it was ready, then personally shipped it securely, and were so friendly. It was such a pleasant experience rather than the usual holiday hassle. I highly recommend the 5th Avenue and 57th Street store for your luxury purchases, but I wouldn’t go on a Saturday afternoon. Why not just call and preorder?

Almost as pleasant as shopping at the LV store is looking at it. These beautiful windows will have you thinking you’re in the Gare de Lyon in Paris in the 1930s. “Love is Without Doubt the Most Beautiful Journey.” Dear Creative Directors, did you mean Traveling with Your Lover and Your Louis Vuitton Luggage, in Your Louis Vuitton Shoes?

Just a tad Dorothy?

I have always loved trunks and very much wanted them, but they just seemed so extravagant and old-fashioned, and a bit ridiculous. But the Darjeeling Limited Louis Vuitton trunks, I think I would mortgage my life out to buy those for me and my lover while we romantically traipsed around Asia by train or steamboat (transporting ourselves back in time, of course), or when we went on safari to Botswana. They’re just so cute and kitschy instead of boring and classic. But alas, they’d look silly after a while.

The mannequin is wearing the Gold Sequined Leather Ankle Boots from the Resort … er, as they call it, Cruise 2010 Collection. The Cruise 2010 Collection is viewable online here (click on “Collections”) but this shoe does not seem to be purchasable yet, which is strange considering that the banks reaped in tons of money this year and for the wealthy, it’s almost time to go on those cruises. But really, who walks a cruise deck in these shoes? Ivana Trump, perhaps.

The store facade:

Happy holidays, LV lovers!

1 Comment »

In keeping with the theme of a lazy weekend at the beach, in 1946, we turn our eye to Rosa Cha. If you don’t know this line, you probably should; it’s an award-winning bathing suit line designed by Brazilian, Amir Slama. It has an insane following. And gorgeous criss-crossy wedge sandals set off the line fabulously.

Please excuse any fuzziness; these photos were taken whilst the girls were in motion.

I love that it kind of looks like a high heel embedded in a wedge. It’s the modern equivalent to the Roman bas relief sculpture, no? I don’t love the pantaloon tied around the food inside the shoe, but the shoe itself rocks. And the criss-crossy (I want to write the Kris Kross…remember them…Jump! Jump!) ones are even better.

On the other hand we have Jen Kao. She showed a very architectural collection paired with stunning jewelry and incredible shoes. Each model wore the same pair of shoes. Can you see why?

Jen Kao’s bathing suit is decidedly not 50s, we’re talking about 2050. The dress on the showcases several trends for Spring 2010. We have the body-conscious silhouette, the miniskirt, the pale pinks and greys, the strong shoulder, and the corset top. Welcome to the future.

Jen herself wore some leather ankle flames to her show. No, that is not a metaphor. See for yourself.

I borrowed the Jen Kao photos from style.com. Unfortunately, mine were just too blurry.

5 Comments »