Monday, June 27, 2011

My.Fashion.WishList

Keeping up with the slide show video trend as per requested from the very nice comments received on my previous post, here is my Fashion WishList for this summer... Added items that I love or would want in my closet. Enjoy!





I created a channel on Youtube called TheShoeFreakMtl -For more videos of all things fashion related, check it out.

Visit.Enjoy.Share!

-The.Shoe.Freak

Monday, June 20, 2011

Shoes.Of.The.Day

This Shoes.Of.The.Day entry is different from my previous ones as it will only showcase pictures of my favorite shoes in a slide show video format...pictures from the extensive amount of research I do...Enjoy!

-Ladies.Shoes.Of.The.Day:



-Men.Shoes.Of.The.Day:



Do you guys like this video format? Please leave your comments.

-The.Shoe.Freak

Saturday, June 18, 2011

My.Collaborations: YourKloset.Com

A few months ago, I had written a post about new and exciting collaborations happening with me and my blog. I had mentioned that I started writing for the blogazine YourKloset.com. Well into my 6th article written for them now, I wanted to share my feelings, experience and growth to you all.

First, the experience so far has been very fulfilling to me as yourkloset.com has allowed me to write about many topics, some more serious than other. It has also allowed me to share my experiences in this crazy industry of ours, not always positively I must admit, but it is the truth of my own experiences. One cannot always be jolly, and it is in adversities that you discover the good stuff.

My 6th article for YourKloset.com is done and online. It tackles something that hits home. As you all know by now, I work in the fashion industry as a designer but I also am a fashion blogger, hence the birth of The.Shoe.Freak a few years ago. These past few months, fashion bloggers have been getting the cold shoulder and harsh critics from people from the industry as well as the regular population, discrediting in many ways the work and credibility of the bloggers. In a very short period of time, I have been able to immerse myself in the fashion blogging world and I have come to meet incredibly talented, passionate and credible people running all the Montreal fashion blogs. The efforts, time and work they put into their craft (yes, it is a craft) is blindly overlooked and all this with no money, or very little for some, made out of it. The article has been getting a lot of buzz and I would love for you all to go read the article at Why so Much Hate Towards Fashion Blogs and Bloggers?...as I find it to be my most inspirational and direct piece so far.

I would love to hear your opinions, thoughts and comments on the topic.

Thank a lot for the support!

-The.Shoe.Freak

Thursday, June 9, 2011

Shoes.Of.The.Day: Leopard

Animal skins are always on trend, however for Spring/Summer 2011, skins like Leopards are dominating the catwalks. What makes this particular trend strong is that it carries on for Fall 2011-12 and even Spring 2012. Therefore, get ready to see an onslaught of leopards in stores near you. Designers are creating new and fresher takes by mixing patterns with solid vivid colours, ornaments and hardware and/or mixes of different patterns. Lets see my favorites.

-Ladies.Shoes.Of.The.Day:

(Charlotte.Olympia.Fall.2011)
Who: Charlotte Olympia
What:
Leopard print ponyskin pump
Why:
Everyone knows by now my love for Charlotte Olympia's design and aestetic as I have posted her shoes before on my blog. Again, she delivers an ultra simple yet super sexy pair of pump that mixes wild and edginess but still remains sophisticated and chic. Love the fire red patent leather mixed with the printed leopard pattern on the ponyskin material. Super high heels, but oh so worth it. Swoon ladies!
How Much:
$1050 Cdn (@luisaviaroma.com)

-Men.Shoes.Of.The.Day:


(Giaco.Morelli.Spring.2011)
Who: Giaco Morelli
What:
Leopard print horsehide loafers
Why:
Giaco Morelli is another designer that I have featured before on my blog. I loved everything about his Spring 2011 collection. And this pair of loafers is another example of great details combined creating an exciting pair of shoe. Love the studs which add a "badass" edginess to a normally classic type of shoe. The colours are also great and rich. I definitely need these in my closet, NOW!
How Much: $650 Cdn (@luisaviaroma.com
)

What do you guys think? Too wild for your taste or just the right amount of Swoon worthiness?

-The.Shoe.Freak

(source: luisaviaroma.com)

Friday, June 3, 2011

Montreal.Fashionista.Challenge-Looks.For.$100: Part.1.The.Presentation

When fellow blogger Fedwa from www.lavietoutsimplement.com asked me if I wanted to collaborate by writing an entry on her great 'fashionista challenge: looks for $100', I instantly said yes and was rejoiced by the idea of collaborating any way I could on such an important topic. I was happy, proud and humbled that I was asked but also excited to write an entry that means a lot more than just the regular 'what's hot' item of the moment.

Therefore I sat a long time on this entry, thought about what I wanted to say, studied the documents provided and weighted the topic options I wanted to elaborate on. Because many topic options I did have, since Fedwa gave me
carte-blanche for this assignment. Should I write about the looks, give my humble opinion on the shoes, or talk about the subject that led to the challenge in the first place?

In order to fully understand why the challenge meant more than just hot clothes for a nickle, we need to grasp the idea behind it. The premise of the challenge for the strikingly beautiful Fedwa (I must say) started after giving birth and caring for her child, neglecting herself in the process. She started feeling like many women do, unattractive physically and mentally afterward. But in all honesty, as men, we truly don't know how a woman feels about her own sense of beauty, especially after given birth and taking care of the newborn. The hard and painful misery of delivering a new life, we easily get, but the rest is kind of ambiguous to us. It was therefore refreshing in all its irony to hear, after doing research on the topic, the actual emotional pain and suffering a woman might go through as well. Refreshing because I, as a man, am now more aware and understanding of everything that lies behind the mood swings, the depressions, the spending habits, the need to transform and change oneself and so forth.

The fashion industry is all about portraying an unattainable image; an image of wealth, perfect bodies, and the beautiful stuff that everyone wants to have, own or be. We all know the side effects of such an industry: eating disorders such as Anorexia and Boulimia, low self-esteem, addictions, crazy spending habits, debts, etc. all in the quest of perfection and acceptance of some sort. All this pressure to be thin, gorgeous, beautiful,
model-esque, desirable, seductive is a battle that probably most women go through, especially after giving birth. Feeling beautiful on the inside is much harder to feel when struggling with issues of such nature.

But for most women, the love of fashion and clothes never dies. Either therapeutical or because of pure love for it, spending money on clothes makes a woman happy and puts a smile on a face, even for a small period of time. And for Fedwa, footwear was her escape. As she mentions, her feet were the only part of her that didn't change and her shoe collection were the only stable and reassuring aspect of her wardrobe. By trying to find a solution in getting back to feeling good about herself and feeling beautiful, she created the fashionista challenge.

The Challenge

Fedwa enlisted 11 of the most fashion conscious bloggers in Montreal to create and style a tailored look to a pair of shoes in her closet with a budget of $100 only. Each month, a blogger look will be showcased and a contest will occur at the end of the year asking the general public to vote on their preferred look. Why $100 only? because Fedwa wanted the looks to be accessible to most women out there, and also showcase the creativity of the bloggers in question. Great challenge indeed!

Stay tuned for Part 2 of my entry coming up soon which will focus on the shoes proposed for the challenge.
And finally Part 3 (at the end of the year) will focus on the looks that the fashion bloggers created.


-The.Shoe.Freak


For more information on the challenge & the bloggers in question and their looks, please visit Fedwa's blog at http://lavietoutsimplement.com/mes-looks-a-100