Shoes.Of.The.Day: Christian.Louboutin.Edition

Today's Shoes.Of.The.Day segment is dedicated to the new reference for shoes in today's fashion conscious society: Christian Louboutin. When the idolized and beloved Carrie Bradshaw trumps her Manolo's for the new Louboutin's, its hard to argue with his now iconic status. The french designer has created an empire with sky-high heels, fairly simple yet constructed designs, over-the-top detailing and the recognizable-from-a-mile-away now-famous red sole. Every star and starlet has worn a pair and every woman I know has lusted or wants to own a Christian Louboutin pair of shoe. Here's are few reasons why...

-Ladies.Shoes.Of.The.Day:

(Christian.Louboutin.Spring.2011: $895/$775/$975.all.in.Us.$)

(Christian.Louboutin.Spring.2011: $1665/$1095/$995.all.in.Us.$)

And, yes guys, the designer started catering to the men clientele. However, for now, the collection for men is pretty small, pricey, extremely out there and loud and the products are more statement-like shoes than anything else. The collection will eventually evolve into a fuller, broader collection as well. See below some examples of the collection for us guys...

-Men.Shoes.Of.The.Day:

(Christian.Louboutin.Spring.2011.&.Fall.2010: $1195/$625/$2495.all.in.Us.$)

For more information on Christian Louboutin, visit his website @ Christianlouboutin.com.

-The.Shoe.Freak

(source: Christianlouboutin.com)

Shoes.Of.The.Day

-Ladies.Shoes.Of.The.Day:

(Alexander.Wang.Spring.2011)

Who: Alexander Wang
What: Peep-toe leather boots with 3 straps.
Why: Everything works here; from the lizard effect on the leather to the leather rib and Velcro straps making this pair modern, edgy and fun. The "it" designer can do no wrong so far. This is how we make a style statement! Yes ladies, you can swoon.
How Much: $685 Cnd (@ net-a-porter)

-Men.Shoes.Of.The.Day:

(Zara.Fall.Winter.2010)

Who: Zara
What: Buckskin leather ankle boots.
Why: Love everything about these boots. The color is stunning, the ankle strap adds a bit of toughness and the rounded pointy toe is right on point. Perfect with a nice pair of straight leg (or tapered) jeans on a night out. Hot boot, at a very low price. WANT!!! Its just sad that they will get ruined by our crazy Montreal winter.
How Much: $129 Cnd

-The.Shoe.Freak

(source: net-a-porter.com/zara.com)

Shoes.Of.The.Day

Today's edition of Shoes.Of.The.Day will feature the "classic" staple shoe for each sex; the pump for the ladies and the classic lace-up for the guys. A lot of people are too content on following the fashion rules and never think outside of the box. However, "Classic" does not have to be boring and one-dimensional. There are many great options out there for everyone who are looking for a fresh new twist on the classics. Here are my suggestions.

-Ladies.Shoe.Of.The.Day:

(Charlotte.Olympia.Fall.Winter.2010)

Who: Charlotte Olympia
What: Leather platform pumps with back ruffled detail.
Why: Stunning work of precised design execution with the right details, shape and perfect amount of femininity. How to make a classic pump into something beautiful. Definitely Swoon material.
How Much: $840 Us (@net-a-porter.com)

-Men.Shoes.Of.The.Day:

(Ted.Baker.Fall.Winter.2010)

Who: Ted Baker
What: Leather classic brogue style shoe with high shine finish.
Why: Again, another stunning work of precised design execution with the right details and the perfect pointed toe shape (not too pointy, more rounded). The low profile heel in a different color makes this classic lace-up multi-functional as it can be worn with a suit for a more proper look or paired down with jeans for a night out. Love it!
How Much: $150 Us (@asos.com)

-The.Shoe.Freak

(source: net-a-porter.com/asos.com)

Winter.Fashion.For.Men: Boots

Unfortunately for us, (well at least for me) its that time of the year again; the time where our city streets are invaded by mother nature's wrath. Yes, tons and tons of winter white snow falling on us, making most of our lives miserable (hey, even the die-hard winter lovers hate the slushy, icy streets of Montreal in winter). Therefore it is time to bring out the artillery; chunky scarves, knitted gloves and beanies, big warm coats and our dreaded stocky winter boots.

But in today's fashion, designers think of us poor style-conscious lovers who dread walking a mile in ugly footwear. Therefore, today's selection of winter boots are both practical and stylish. No more reason for those hideous snow boots of the past.

Here are some of my top Men's winter footwear must haves.

-Men.Boots.To.Have:

(Pajar.$185cdn)
(Ralph.Lauren.$350us/Tretorn.$140us/Sorel.$500us)

High quality, waterproof boots that are resistant to the grueling winters are not cheap but merit the price. You'll be happy wearing them next time you’re shoveling your driveway or walking a slippery Montreal sidewalk.

-The.Shoe.Freak

(source: pajar.com/ralphlauren.com/store.tretorn.com/sorel.com)

Shoes.Of.The.Day

In light of these past few days first few snow fall of 2010, today's Shoes.Of.The.Day is influenced by our great weather.

-Ladies.Shoes.Of.The.Day:

(Alexander.McQueen.Fall.Winter.2010)

Who: Alexander McQueen

What: Leather open-toe ankle booties with shearling lining.

Why: Yes, they are open toe, yes they've been done in previous seasons by McQueen, and yes many other brands have since then created or copied similar versions. And? Only the master can make a past style look fresh and new with the addition of shearling lining. By doing so, McQueen made previous buyers of this style lust for its new version. Genius!

How Much: £695 (approximately $1,100 Us @Brownsfashion.com)

-Men.Shoes.Of.The.Day:

(Ralph.Lauren.Fall.Winter.2010)

Who: Ralph Lauren
What: Leather and wool plaid boots.
Why: This pair of boot is perfect for our long winters. The combination of rugged leather and signature wool plaid Ralph Lauren pattern give this boot an edge and differentiates it from all the other waterproof/winter boots out there. NEED those now!
How Much: $750 Us

With a long winter ahead, why not do it in style!

-The.Shoe.Freak

(source: brownsfashion.com/ralphlauren.com)

Shoes.Of.The.Day

-Ladies.Shoes.Of.The.Day:

(Nicholas.Kirkwood.Fall.Winter.2010)

Who: Nicholas Kirkwood

What: Leather & suede shoe boot with laminated effect

Why: All of Kirkwood's creations are simply stunning work of art, with great architectural precision and lines. I love the beautiful details and play with different textures and effect with this particular pair. The shoe boot is everywhere and the metal spiked-heel is on trend. Love it.

How Much: $572 Us (@yoox.com)

-Men.Shoes.Of.The.Day:

(Irregular.Choice.Fall.Winter.2010)

Who: Irregular Choice

What: Leather & fabric booties with flower print

Why: This funky pair of boots from irregular choice is so fresh, so different, and yet so stylish! The designs from this great Uk brand are always fun and quirky yet avant-garde and fashionable. Must have them!

How Much: £89.50 (approximately $150 Us)

-The.Shoe.Freak

(source: irregularchoice.com/nicholaskirkwood.com/yoox.com)

Shoes.Of.The.Day

Shoes.Of.The.Day is a new daily segment on The.Shoe.Freak. As my blog name clearly says it, I'm a Shoeaholic. Everyone in my circle knows this. I believe that an outfit can be Yay or Nay just by what the person decides to wear on his/her feet. Shoes are therefore very important to me. Yes, I own a lot of them, I don't deny it. However, I give a lot of them away every year, makes me feel less guilty to know I'm helping out! Hey, whatever rocks your boat I say!

I will show a picture of a pair of shoe (shoes, boots, and anything in between) for men and for ladies that I think are hot. I will also give a short description of the item, by which designer, brand or shop, the price if available and why I like them.

So here goes my first segment! Hope you enjoy it and leave comments. Drum roll please...

-Ladies.Shoes.Of.The.Day:

(Burberry.Fall.Winter.2010)

Who: Burberry Prorsum
What: Leather ankle boots with shearling lining, multiple buckles and rubber sole.
Why: How hot are these boots? A little bit fly, a little bit ghetto, a little bit high(little??) and much attitude. These rock "n" roll boots are completely in trend with the aviation&military theme which was everywhere this season. Leave it to Burberry to out-do everyone in this category. Swoon ladies, Swoon.
How Much: $995 Us

-Men.Shoes.Of.The.Day:

(Burberry.Fall.Winter.2010)

Who: Burberry Prorsum
What: Leather boots with shearling lining.
Why: The Male version. How hot are these boots? A little bit rough, a little bit though, and a whole lot of attitude. Perfect for the winter blues, just a great pair of boot all around. I'm definitely drooling. WANT!
How Much: $795 Us

Pricey, but oh so worth it.

-The.Shoe.Freak

(source: Burberry.com)

Events.To.Support: *Smart.Design.Mart

The second edition of *Smart Design Mart is taking place this weekend in Montreal. *Smart Design Mart is a modern design market open to the public, displaying a mix of emerging talents and seasoned creators in the design field-from clothing to furniture, art and jewelery and much more.

Take a look at their official posters below for more information:

(*Smart.Design.Mart.Poster @ Smart.Design.Mart)

Here's a small excerpt taken from their official facebook page describing the event: "Set in the industrial setting of a 20 000 square foot garment industry loft (now empty) each designer and artist has been hand picked by the smart design mart curators and has been asked to create a mini boutique within the space. Aisles will be roomy, food and drink will be served and music will be drifting, creating the perfect exciting yet comfortable shopping event. Montreal’s own EN MASSE (enmasse.info) art collective has been invited to create a live art installation, giving shoppers a moment to recharge, have a drink and enjoy the art."

Its a great way to promote local talents and for the public to get to know and support them. Right in time for Christmas, this is a great way to shop and get cool gifts while supporting our emerging design field without the hassle of the typical hectic Christmas mall shoppers.

Where: 160 st. viateur east, 2nd floor @ casgrain
When: Saturday, December 4th : 11:00 am-6.00 pm & Sunday, December 5th, : 11:00 am-6.00 pm

For more information, you can follow them on facebook-Smart Design Mart or visit them at http://smartdesignmart.blogspot.com/

Go check them out and shop & support!

-The.Shoe.Freak

(source: lapresseaffaires.cyberpresse.ca/smartdesignmart.blogspot.com)

Fashion.News.Montreal

This week in the Montreal Fashion circle, we heard some really unfortunate news on one of the great Canadian designers out there. It has been reported that Andy Thê-Anh is closing shops after his financial backers decided to end their support for his line due to a big decrease in their sales figures. According to Étienne Lecompte, president of the company, sales for spring 2011 were down 46 per cent compared with last spring. And of course, the recession didn’t help with US sales dropping enormously.

This report surely does not help the already struggling Canadian and Montreal fashion industries/markets or aid in promoting it. When the biggest talents struggle, and have to shut down, the image takes a beating for sure. And, unfortunately, dark days are looming for this unlucky industry as only now the repercussions of the US economical meltdown are starting to bloom.

I'm sure, like others such as Phillipe Dubuc did before him, Andy Thê-Anh will bounce back as he is too talented. For now though, it is a hard pill to swallow.

Here are a few pictures of the Andy Thê-Anh aesthetic-sharp tailoring & glamorous red carpet gowns:

(Fall.2010.Toronto.Fashion.Week)

The Canadian high-end designer must liquidate his merchandise. A sale of $2.8 million worth of clothing (to be sold at 70 to 80 per cent off) begins Thursday Dec.2nd at his Andy Thê-Anh Cours Mont Royal store.

Sad news indeed.

-The.Shoe.Freak

(source:montrealgazette.com/torontolife.com)