If you are interested in styles that are modern and playful with few, if any, fru-fru touches, Marni’s designs have been gaining fans steadily over the last several years. And, looking at some of the Marni styles, it is not too difficult to see why this is so.

The Marni vibe, to me, is a particular joining of the crisp lines of Art Nouveau with a bit of the spirit of the 60’s and 70’s (color-blocking, wedges & platforms). These combine in sometimes unexpected ways and shapes to keep Marni’s styles feeling fresh and modern rather than retro or recycled.

Here are some current examples of what Marni has to offer to us shoe lovers:

Marni Grey Leather Flat Sandal ($CAN 477 $795 at Monamoore).

I love the Art-Nouveau feeling of these.

Marni black & blue suede wedge ($CAN 537 $995 at Monamoore).

This is a slightly different nod to tribal styling than I have been seeing from other designers.

Marni black patent wedge ($CAN 537 $995 at Monamoore)

This would be Marni’s version of the now-ubiquitous gladiator.

Marni purple suede sandal with black platform heel ($CAN $597 $995 at Monamoore).

On-trend styling of worthy of any runway platform, matched with a solid heel and lovely color contrasts.

Marni  ‘runway’ black patent slingback with gray and purple suede detail ($CAN $995 $597)

These have a hint of the Giambattista Valli ‘Victoria’  silhouette we saw a couple of seasons ago.  But, the combination of flared stiletto and wrap-around Maryjane effect have me loving what Marni has done to make these their own.

Marni ‘runway’ nude, purple and red patent leather pumps ($CAN $945 $567) at Monamoore.

The color-blocking on this just makes me think of a Mondrian painting.  Sure, I don’t know quite where I would wear these, but they are simply fabulous.

Marni brown python sandal with wood platform ($CAN $1195 $717 at Monamoore)

I’m not sure what it is about this pair, but I think they are my favorite of the bunch.

With all of the imitators and inspired shoes out there, it’s just refreshing to see designers who really have a strong personal aesthetic. Marni definitely has a style all it’s own.

Oh, and as you can see, MonaMoore is doing a bit of promotional pricing. This is just an added benefit; I’m a huge fan of getting a great price whenever possible.

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Hello warmer weather!

As we move into another spring season, certain classic footwear trends have re-emerged as if on an annual schedule. In this case, the trend is of rope-like espadrilles and cork-soled sandals. These continue to be casual warm-weather favorites.

This spring and summer it will be tough to go wrong style-wise if your sandals include a cork sole; or perhaps rafia, bamboo, or jute details. Natural textures, warm tan and brown colors, and an earthy, Boho vibe are making a huge appearance in stores this spring.

First up - Prada’s Rafia, Cork, and Bamboo Wedges:

Prada Raffia Wedge Sandals $650 at Saks.com

Prada Bamboo Wedge Platforms $695 at Saks.com

Prada Wedge Platform Cutout Sandals $750 at Saks.com

I’m not finding myself to be much of a fan of the rafia, and I can take or leave the whole cork thing, but the bamboo is pretty intriguing.

Volatile Shoes also has a few bamboo-wrapped offerings in their spring line-up (with more of a reedy effect): Read the rest of this entry »

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And by shopping, I really mean swapping. The new in thing for fashion forward ladies who desperately want to shop, but have found themselves tightening their purse strings a bit lately, is the great Clothing Swap party. The concept is pretty self-explanatory. You and all your girlfriends sift through your wardrobes to find stuff that is still in good condition, but that you just don’t wear anymore. We all have that an item or two that was AWESOME in the store, but that has gone out on the town only once or twice in the last 4 years, right? Then you bring all your gently worn treasures to the clothing swap party, mix in some snacks and some alcohol, and commence the swapping!

I have to say it’s kind of strange to see your own clothing on another person.

I went to a fab clothing swap party last night and, in addition to some very cute duds, I also snagged these awesome summer sandals and all they cost me was some old clothes!

It’s kind of ingenious if you think about it: you get rid of all the stuff that’s been hiding out in your closet, you get to know that your things get a nice new home (anything with no takers goes to goodwill), and you get new stuff without spending a dime. I totally suggest throwing one of these together. Has anyone else scored anything awesome at a clothing swap party?

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It’s no mystery that metallics mysteriously come into fashion every Spring. Each year, the fashion magazine report, with breathless admiration, how “New!” and “Exciting!” this ground-breaking trend is. Whatever people; we’re on to you. We knew it was coming, but that doesn’t make metallics any less fun. In the spirit of fun Spring trends, here are some of the fancier metallic footwear that is (or will soon be) available.

Marc Jacob Heart Heel, approx $638 (converted from British Pounds).

A more practical version is the Marc Jacobs Heart Ballerina, approx $475 (converted from Euros)

Nicholas Kirkwood Black and Gold Sandals, approx $787 (converted from GBP)

Remember these from Phillip Lim’s Spring collaboration with Christian Louboutin (we wrote about it!)? Well now you can get your own pair. Britney Spears already got hers (in the red, heeled version). She’s got them on in her video for “If You Seek Amy.” The people dressing her are really working hard these days. Check out the Christian Louboutin “Adona” Sandal, $1265 at Saks.

CL also shows us what would happen if a disco ball was reimagined as a shoe. The Very Galaxy Platform Pump is available at Saks for $1295.

Brian Atwood gives us a cool Gold Wedge Sandal ($1870, but only available on request).

Prada has a Christmas wrapping type lace up sandal.

Pierre Hardy gives us geometric sandals in both silver and gold. Available on www.pierrehardy.com.

And let’s not forget the shoes we saw on the runway at NY Fashion week 2009. These suckers won’t be available for a good long while and are oficial part of “Fall,” but designers this season seemed a bit confused about what is constitutes Spring and Fall, so bring them on.

I remember when I saw this armored gold bootie at the Karen Walker shoe, I nearly fell out of my seat. It’s even more gorgeous in person than it is in photos.

And Costello Tagliapietra’s models rocked the runway in these and these:

Johnathan Saunders shone when he showed these:

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The Victoria and Albert Museum sponsored a shoe design competition for kids a while back, and the results were amazing. These are the next Louboutins, Blahniks and Choos, my friend. So who was the judge? Jimmy Choo, of course! See the winning and notable entries here.

Speaking of Senor Choo, it’s been quiet in his neighborhood. What has he been up to these days? Well, designing beauties like this, for starters.  They’ll look fabulous with your whole new Moroccan/Algerian wardrobe that you’ll wear to Le Souk and belly dance around in. (Speaking of which, are you digging the North African trend across all of fashion? Surprisingly, I am, leading me to spend work days dreaming of being luxuriously outfitted in a soft caftan, marrying a sultan and being set upon a divan… okay, back to reality.)

Don’t drop the hookah ashes on them, they’re £456!

Fancy walking on that skyscraper of a point? I have tried on many pairs of Choos but only ever worn one pair out, and I have to say I found the skinny stilettos of most of his shoes hard to survive on when traversing cement streets!

Is it not obvious that the sandalista bootie is the new shoe? I’ve heard fashion theorists throw out there that they’ve become popular because they look so tough and protective, like a cage, and in these hard times, we want to feel comforted and protected and tough.

Browsing on Modista, I fell lusciously in love with these Queens of Domination. I’ve come to expect no less from Giuseppe Zanotti, who consistently rocks my world. These mamas definitely wear the pants in the relationship, and scare me a little bit, but I’d dare to wear. With a crazy shoe like this, I’d keep it simple up top with a pair of shorts or a minishift dress in grey or taupe, maybe with a vest and a loose chain necklace.

But alas, $875 does not fit the bill, so I’ll have to settle for a cheap imitation. Fortunately, on Sunday, I was walking through the Haight when I saw these (apologies for the grainy photos, I’m working on getting a new digital camera so for now my Google phone camera must suffice) at Isabel Shoes, reminding me of the strappy “fierce gold or black bandage booties” I saw at Urban Outfitters and decreed the anti-granny chic shoes in this post.

They also come in other colors, and I like the zipper for its punk industrial look that it adds and also for how easy it makes to slip it on and zip it up, then run out the door as I’m likely to do.

Got a favorite pair of sandalista bandage booties? Post a link in comments to let us know about ‘em!

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