{ color } block

as you know, i'm a huge fan of brian atwood's work, and partnered with him earlier this year to help launch his secondary line, B brian atwood. i had a lot of fun working with his team, and thus was excited when they sent me a sneak peek of the brand's new video campaign ~ i couldn't wait to share it with you all!! it's the sexiest take on colorblocking i've ever seen:

can't live without the shoes in the video?! get 'em RIGHT HERE!! and tune in again later today, when i'll check back, wearing my favorite pop-of-color kicks from this collection!

{ killing it }

finding these boots while away in milan inspired me to take a second look at zara's footwear offerings. i gotta say, they're sort of phenomenal ~ AND they're affordable!! { shop them HERE, HERE and HERE }

{ tamu's shoes }

tamu mcpherson, the talented eye behind all the pretty birds & fashion director of grazia.it, has some pretty amazing taste in footwear. every morning in milan, i got so excited to see what she'd show up to the shows in. here are two of my faves:

{ preparatory }

fall may be creeping up in spurts and starts, but when winter inevitably hits, it always seems to do so full-throttle. that's why ~ for the first time EVER ~ i'm stocking up on weather-ready accessories BEFORE they become necessities. just ordered the boots below ~ the ones on the left for when it's snowing but i still have to be seen (unfortunately, meetings happen in january too!), and the ones on the right for every other run-around day:

as for cold weather caps? i'm thinking a jil sander-inspired DIY just might be in order:

{ b amazing }

i know i'm not the only one here who's completely seduced by the look of the new b brian atwood showroom ~ purple walls + leopard chairs + copious metallics and that insane sebastien l. agneessens sculpture all add up to total perfection!!

i was honored to introduce the first sneak peek of brian's new line HERE, and today i'm excited to let you know that the shoes have finally arrived in store. to celebrate the launch, saks is giving away a really chic sweetheart bracelet with any b brian atwood purchase (while supplies last), and following brian on twitter could win you a fleet of his favorite things, including a jo malone candle, vosges chocolates, and a handwritten note from the designer himself.

what's more, i'll be hanging out at saks fifth avenue's new york outpost (on the 5th floor!) on wednesday, september 14th, from 6-8pm, to fête the new line and show you all my favorite styles. mark your calendars and plan to stop by, won't you?!

{ introducing } b. brian atwood

as you may have gathered from the fun, flashy widget in my top right sidebar, i've teamed up with designer brian atwood to debut his new b brian atwood line, which is officially launching on august 25th via saks.com. every day this week, a new style from the collection is being unveiled on my page ~ and i'm as excited to see them myself as i am to share them with you!!

a few weeks ago, brian invited me to stop by the photoshoot for his print campaign (the photo above is a tiny preview ~ how dashing does the designer look in this cameo?!), and i seized the occasion to put on my best journalistic kicks. interview below!

in many ways, shoe making seems more akin to architecture than to fashion design. how did you learn this craft, and who were your role models as a young designer?
when i was younger i loved building model houses, but it wasn't until i started working at gianni versace that I learned the art of making shoes. it is like building a house. you need the correct foundation or the shoe doesn't support the wearer.

was it your background in modeling that inspired you to go into design?
i always knew that i wanted to be a designer. i started off in ready-to-wear and somehow found my love of shoes. modeling just allowed me to see the world and meet the designers that i would like to work with.

and how has that experience informed your work?
it gave me a broader viewpoint on design as well as what women want.

when designing a new collection where do you begin? does it start with developing new last shapes, materials, etc.?
first it starts with last shapes and heels that you would like to see, then you begin with your color card and material to follow. after that it all comes together as your vision evolves.

over the last couple years, shoe designs have gotten more outrageous than ever; each brand seems determined to outdo the others in structure, weight, height, etc. yet your designs maintain a classic appeal while still looking fresh. how do you negotiate this competitive scene but continue to set yourself apart?
i love all of the outrageous designs that are out there, but i do believe that women always need classic shoes with a twist. when clothing is busy you need cleaner accessories. if our shoes seem on the classic side then we "amp" it up in the height to give it an edge.

if your fans could only buy one of your shoes this season, which would you recommend and why?
from the "b" collection they should buy leise in silver metallic [in the middle picture above] or paradis in the patchwork leopard print boot [debuting in tomorrow's sidebar!].

{ sxsw snapshots }

{ a week's worth of rock & roll living in austin }

{ glamourai giveaway } rebecca minkoff x shopbop

{ gifted elizabeth & james cat-eye sunnies, assorted jewels (including kelly framel teardrop talon necklace), primary | new york f/w 2011 leather jacket, forever21 cardi, free people slipdress, michael kors watch, gifted rebecca minkoff classic clutch and femme fatale shoes }

this week, i'm excited to be partnering with designer rebecca minkoff (who is celebrating the debut of her first-ever shoe collection on shopbop.com), to gift one lucky reader with the shoes of her choice!! to enter, hop over to the shop, pick out your favorite style, then let us know which one you most love by filling out this entry form. and voila! you're on your way to winning that pair. the results will be announced next monday; bonne chance mes amies!
----
UPDATE 03.07.11: this contest is now closed. thanks to everyone who participated! XOK

{ shoes } glorious shoes

as i mentioned wednesday, i spent the first part of this week with gala darling in las vegas, nevada, as a guest of ENKwsa, a trade show dedicated almost entirely to SHOES!! tens of thousands of shoes.

every conceivable kind of kicks were represented (from sneakers to stilettos), including affordable favorites like steve madden, jeffery campbell, and the adorably irreverent irregular choice. obviously, it was pretty spectacular! my personal favorite finds came from stalwarts of my own wardrobe, like L.A.M.B. and badgley mischka (via their new contemporary collection mark & james ~ which is set to launch online later this month), plus the incomparable charles jourdan. here are a few that MOST made me drool:

{ above left: steve madden // above right: charles jourdan // below: L.A.M.B. }


{ above left: steve madden // above right & below left: irregular choice // below right: unknown }



{ above & below: L.A.M.B. }

{ costume of the day } plaid dreams

{ tom ford sunnies, vintage scarf, vintage boy's blazer (last seen HERE), vintage lace t-shirt, burlap skirt & sixtyseven boots courtesy of modcloth }

attempting to continue with monday's theme of throwing on every nearby item in the same-ish colorway resulted in the above ensemble. i was really excited to wear this new ruffled wrap-front skirt; my only regret was not having more plaid pieces to pair with it. next time i'll really mix it up! preferably with at least one of these:

{ clockwise from above left: orvis satchel, dsquared2 boots, whiting & davis clutch, pour la victoire boots }

{ short story }

after inundating us with years' worth of wonderfully humongous heels, fashion's been trending towards littler leg lifts for several seasons now. but it was marc jacobs' fall 2010 collections (for both louis vuitton and his eponymous lines) that cemented their au currant currency. there's something very serene, very old-fashioned-femme, in wearing a kitten heel. it's at once a throwback and a way forward.

i've enjoyed pulling some old (nearly vintage!) favorites out of the back of my wardrobe, and have found them suddenly more alluring than ever before. these are the three i can't stop wearing:

{ glittering gold brocade beauties by prada }

{ black satin classics by christian lacroix }

{ shagreen stunners by helmut lang ~ i adore the humor & comfort provided by their rubber-band back straps! }

how do kitten heels make you feel? are you ready yet to find high style on a lower level?